‘More than a slap’: Public full of fear following shopping centre assault

Concerned Toowoomba residents have shared how the once simple outing of grocery shopping is now filled with fear as the youth crime epidemic intensifies. Read what they had to say here.

Concerned Toowoomba residents have shared how the once simple outing of grocery shopping is now filled with fear as the youth crime epidemic intensifies.

Toowoomba shopping centres including Clifford Gardens have become a hotspot for crime activity with high-profile attacks, including a 16-year-old boy who was held in custody for allegedly mugging a 65-year-old woman at the centre in June last year.

A month prior, two teenage girls allegedly mugged a 76-year-old woman who was sitting in her vehicle in the Clifford Gardens car park.

Safety of the public was placed at threat again just last week when a female staff member was assaulted.

Clifford Gardens Shopping Centre, Toowoomba.

The manager of a store at Clifford Gardens Shopping Centre who asked to remain anonymous spoke publicly at the youth crime forum in Toowoomba on February 15.

She said gangs regularly visited the centre with her store becoming a hotspot for theft.

“The last 12 months have been absolutely horrific,” she told the audience.

“I get a lot of customers talking to me about how frightened they are … over the past two weeks it has been daily.”

“It’s the most confronting, frightening thing to experience.

“My staff are all frightened. Something needs to be done.”

The Chronicle spoke with several customers with the general consensus being they were fearful and wanted action to be taken.

Brett Powell. Toowoomba residents talk about how safe they feel in the community. Picture: Nev Madsen

Brett Powell, 49, said while crime had become a serious issue across the board, he had noticed an increase in incidents specifically in Toowoomba.

Mr Powell said while he had become very vigilant when he leaves his home, he was not sure if the centre increasing security patrol would make a difference.

“I really don’t think the security staff in shopping centres are equipped to deal with this kind of stuff but I would definitely like to see more police patrol the area,” he said.

“The police are doing a fantastic job but the problem is after the police have done their job, the (offenders) go to court and there are so many loopholes or the courts just are not following through.

“We really need to start naming and shaming these young offenders and making them accountable.”

A 67-year-old woman who asked to remain anonymous, said after travelling back from a holiday at the Gold Coast, her and her husband decided to stop in at the centre to pick up some groceries.

The woman said she did not feel comfortable leaving their luggage in the car unattended, so decided to wait by the locked vehicle while her husband did the shopping.

“I’m not game to leave the car when we have our luggage in there,” she said.

“We’re all very scared and we don’t feel safe.

“Police are so busy and probably don’t have the resources (to patrol shopping centres) so perhaps having more security guards walking around would make people feel safer.”

Terry Pailthorpe. Toowoomba residents talk about how safe they feel in the community. Picture: Nev Madsen

Terry Pailthorpe, 73 and his wife Hazel, 80, echoed this sentiment after the couple purchased an antitheft device to secure their vehicle.

“You lock all your doors and these people are still smashing and bashing your car,” Mr Pailthorpe said.

“I agree that putting these people in jail is not going to solve the problem but locking someone up for five years is still five years the perpetrator cannot reoffend, so I would like to see longer jail times.”

The couple, who had lived in Toowoomba for decades, said they had never seen crime in the region reach this degree.

“The other night we went to the cinema and walking through it just felt really creepy and I did not feel safe,” Mrs Pailthorpe said.

“And of course since then a man was stabbed.

“Walking through the streets of Toowoomba after 9 o’clock – we just won’t do that anymore.”

One woman who asked to remain anonymous said she was “worried about my mum because she’s 93 and I won’t let her come out to the bank or shops on her own now.”

“Something definitely needs to be done but I don’t know what the solution is – nothing seems to scare or stop these kids,” she said.

“We have gone to the chemist and all around the centre today and we have not seen one single security guard.”

The Rockville woman said it was disappointing to see the negative impression Toowoomba was leaving as a result of the crime.

“I was talking to some people who have just moved over from New Zealand and they could not believe the youth crime rates in Toowoomba,” she said.

Steve Tickner. Toowoomba residents talk about how safe they feel in the community. Picture: Nev Madsen

Meanwhile Steve Tickner, 72, said more deterrents need to be implemented to stop young people from reoffending.

“I think the youth crime is terrible in Toowoomba,” he said.

“They need more than a smack on the fingers.

“The police are doing a wonderful job but they are not getting the support of the jurisdiction.”

While the rise in youth crime has not stopped Mr Tickner from going out in public, he said he had intensified his home security systems.

Queensland Police Superintendent Doug McDonald said police were engaging with Clifford Gardens centre management and other stakeholders to increase security.

“We have a number of tools at our disposal including the Mobile Police Beat which can be tasked to crime hot spots and areas of concern,” he said.

“We constantly reassess where those resources are placed based on crime trends and intelligence and recognise the concerns which have been raised.”

Superintendent Doug McDonald.

A spokeswoman for Elanor Investors Group, which manages Clifford Gardens Shopping Centre, said the safety of customers was paramount.

While the spokeswoman confirmed the centre security team had been alerted to “minor” incidents including theft, this had not significantly increased.

She said the centre’s security presence and resources was currently being reviewed as a result of the ongoing events in Toowoomba.

“Meetings with the security provider are underway to review the current security resourcing of the centre,” the spokeswoman said.

“The Centre has engaged with local government and police resources to request regular attendance of the mobile police beat, in light of the ongoing events in the Toowoomba region.

“We will continue to work with community stakeholders to identify additional areas of support, to ensure our customers feel safe when visiting our centre.

“As such we have commenced works to improve CCTV, increased security presence and working with the local government and police, requesting attendance of the mobile Police Beat.”

A Clifford Gardens store manager details her experience with crime at the Toowoomba Community Safety Forum at the Empire Theatre. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Shoppers voiced their concerns days after terrifying footage emerged, showing a Woolworths employee being assaulted on Friday, February 17.

It is alleged the female offender was asked to leave the store at Clifford Gardens Shopping Centre after the offender was seen throwing cans of alcohol on the floor of the store.

The vision released by Channel 9 then shows the offender repeatedly punching the female staff member before a customer intervened.

A Queensland Police Service spokeswoman said the matter which left the 19-year-old staff member with a facial injury, was being investigated.

“Police are investigating reports of an assault at an Anzac Avenue business,” the spokeswoman said.

“Investigations are ongoing. Police encourage anyone with information to come forward.”

Footage showing a Woolworths staff member being assaulted by a customer has emerged.

A Woolworths spokeswoman said there was “no place for this kind of abusive behaviour anywhere in our community.”

“Our team members do the very best they can to help customers, and deserve to be treated with respect on the job.

“We don’t tolerate abuse in any circumstance and have taken steps to ban the customer from returning to the store.”

The Elanor Investors Group spokeswoman said the centre had reached out to the Woolworths store manager who confirmed the staff member was “fine and doing well.”

She said while the centre did not have the offender’s information, a ban would be issued if those details were provided.