Townsville crime: Residents ‘barricading themselves’ inside homes, LNP promises to fix issue

‘Fearful’ North Queenslanders are going to extreme lengths to protect their homes, with one elderly man heading to Bunnings to fashion a Home Alone-style booby trap system to thwart burglars.

LNP candidate for Mundingburra Janelle Poole with resident John, who runs the North Queensland Crime out of Control Facebook page. Picture: Nikita McGuire

‘Fearful’ North Queenslanders are going to extreme lengths to protect their homes, with one elderly man creating a Home Alone-style booby trap system to thwart burglars.

After seeing crime worsening over the years, John* created the Facebook page ‘North Queensland Crime out of Control’ to unite the community against property crime.

John says many residents who post about their stolen cars or house break-ins are now doing so anonymously out of fear of retribution.

“We have learned so much from having this page and one of the biggest issues is that a lot of people are still fearing today,” he said.

“Fear of getting attacked again. The crime is just … out of control is not the word.

“I don’t blame the police, because they do a fantastic job, Even we get 100 more police officers out there it won’t make a difference. They catch them, they go to court, they get released.”

Waking up to dozens of people wanting to join the page each day, John said many in the community were feeling vulnerable and wanting support.

“A lot of older people I know and speak to are scared to leave the house or go down to the shops, because they are scared,” he said.

“A lot of people are asking how to make their houses safer.”

LNP candidate for Mundingburra Janelle Poole with resident John, who runs the North Queensland Crime out of Control Facebook page. Picture: Nikita McGuire

John says he has heard multiple stories of North Queenslanders going to extreme lengths to protect their homes.

“I know an elderly bloke who had six or seven break and enters within seven months. He didn’t want to go out,” he said.

“He purchased two pieces of cardboard and went to Bunnings to buy liquid nails, he said it got to that stage and he broke some glass and put individually onto the carpet and placed at his door. He’d had enough.”

With property crime increasing in brazenness, John said police initiatives like the Polair chopper were good additions to the community.

“One good thing that is helping is that helicopter,” he said.

“At least we know someone is watching.
“I am against the vigilante approach because I know that’s not right either.”

LNP candidate for Mundingburra Janelle Poole. Picture: Evan Morgan

LNP candidate for Mundingburra Janelle Poole said community safety was becoming a big concern with some resorting to homemade security measures for peace of mind.

“I’ve knocked on thousands of doors over the last couple of months and I’m hearing the same stories,” Ms Poole said.

“People are barricading themselves in their homes because they don’t feel safe and they are scared to go out after hearing stories of people being held up at the lights and attempting to carjack them.”

Ms Poole said the LNP would fix the problem at the “front end”.

“We will rewrite the Youth Justice Act, remove detention as a last resort. Those serious recidivist property offenders need to be incarcerated, they need to be taken off the street,” she said.

“Our Making Queensland Safer legislation that we will introduce, including adult crime adult time for those serious offences and home invasions, is about putting consequences for actions and putting the rights of the victims before the rights of the offenders because that is the frustration at the moment.”

Originally published as Townsville crime: Residents ‘barricading themselves’ inside homes, LNP promises to fix issue