Operation Whisky Unison began in Maryborough on Thursday afternoon, November 14, which will see an increase in high visibility policing by police officers and Police Liaison Officers in the CBD, shopping centres and parks.

It comes after shocking images and video emerged of multiple disturbing daylight acts in the CBD including one man defecating on the road on the corner of Kent and March Streets despite the availability of nearby public toilets and an aggressive vagrant screaming abuse opposite the Post Office Hotel, putting his hands down his pants then removing his clothes entirely and walking the streets naked.

Police said Operation Whiskey Unison aimed enhance community safety through high visibility activities including foot patrols, wanding and mobile police vehicle deployments.

Officers have been sent to hotspot areas to conduct walk throughs of shopping precincts and populated areas, conduct bail checks and engage with the community to disrupt and deter offending.

Maryborough Patrol Group Inspector Paul Algie said police would take action against criminal offences.

“We know that there is an increase in reported good order offences in the CBD and we will use this local intelligence to inform our approach as needed,” Inspector Algie said. “I work in the Maryborough CBD myself so I understand the community’s concern about instances of anti-social behaviour in the area.

“However, we have employed reactive and proactive strategies to detect, disrupt and deter illegal drug activity and anti-social and intimidating behaviour in this area, including the high visibility operation we kicked off yesterday.

“This is a complex issue that also involves a range of support services police are working with our government partner agencies to address this from all angles and holistically case mange these individuals who are all know to police.

“It’s very important to me and all police that the community not only is safe, but also feels safe.

“I’m confident we’ll see a change through this high visibility operation, however I encourage the community to continue to report illegal and concerning behaviour to police via Policelink and if you are in immediate danger, please call Triple Zero.”

WATCH: Rooftop standoff, screams in night, wild library assault leaves city reeling

Deranged derelicts are unleashing hell on a history-rich CBD locals are now too frightened to frequent and hopes of heritage charm tourism are fading fast without an urgent clean up.

This week alone Maryborough’s city centre has been under siege amid a spate of police resource-draining call-outs including a rooftop standoff which shut down a street and power to the area while a wild assault at the library forced the council to close the doors early, send staff home and set up security outside.

Shocking images and video have also emerged of multiple disturbing daylight acts in the CBD in the past 72 hours including one man defecating on the road on the corner of Kent and March Streets despite the availability of nearby public toilets and an aggressive vagrant screaming abuse opposite the Post Office Hotel, putting his hands down his pants then removing his clothes entirely and walking the streets naked.

It’s the tipping point for a city still mourning the loss of three women killed in a crash caused by a 13-year-old in a stolen Mercedes and where speeding teens in stolen cars drive past the Lennox St police station taunting officers who are powerless to pursue.

At the coal face of this crime and mental health crisis is Daniel Beattie who moved into the trendy top level of a historic building, eager to be part of a planned property renaissance to bring permanent residential living above retail spaces back into a CBD which like so many others across the state had become a ghost town.

Instead, he quickly became the megaphone for what’s really going on in the city’s streets, attracting a social media following for his daily posts which bring home just how bad things have become from punch-ups and screaming matches to the extraordinary footage of Wednesday’s stand-off.

In a sit-down interview on Friday, Mr Beattie, who was a last-minute name on the ballot ticket at the recent state election in which three-term Labor MP Bruce Saunders was ousted, said people had simply had enough.

He wants the successful candidate, the LNP’s John Barounis who campaigned heavily on tackling crime, to follow through and is leading a petition to parliament, which has been snapped up by many CBD businesses and already attracted hundreds of signatures, calling for an urgent increase in police numbers and presence.

Action was not only urgent for the sake of locals but also the troubled people who clearly needed mental health, secure housing and/or drug support and ahead of major events like the upcoming January scout jamboree where thousands of children and their supervisors from around the country will flood the city and be confronted with whatever condition it is in at the time.

“They’re destroying these places”, Mr Beattie said.

“They’re only supporting the cigarette and bottle shops”.

Mr Beattie and his partner, Tiffany are part owners of the large apartment building where they were the first responders on Wednesday when they saw a man teetering on the edge of a building opposite them.

They’ve had to install heavy bars around their decking to stop people who were climbing buildings late at night from getting inside.

“You’ve got to be careful of these people because they’ve got nothing to lose and we have everything to lose,” he explained.

“Sometimes you’re looking around to pick something up in case someone comes at you”.

While the couple is increasingly worried for their safety, Mr Beattie’s mostly annoyed at the council and other governing bodies for being too slow to take action.

“I’m angry with the council because they give other people hard times about what they’re building, but then they go and allow dosshouse accommodation”, he said.

“I’m annoyed that they’re contributing to the problem.

“Their priorities aren’t right”.

He also believes police are “reactive, not proactive” when they set up their mobile units in areas of the town that do not need patrols.

Among the business owners to sign the petition is Chuck D’Zilva who says he is losing income at his restaurant La Familia on Kent St because of the carnage on the streets.

“Some of our older customers are too scared to come out at night, which is a worry”, Mr D’Zilva said.

“I speak to at least one or two people a week that say they’re scared to come out here at night”.

His business was caught also caught in the middle of Wednesday’s stand-off as police shut down power on his block, meaning he could not prepare for the dinner service.

“I was homeless growing up, so I do feel for these people on a personal level, but something has to be done from the council and government”, he said.

“It’s not like I don’t appreciate that they’re human, it’s just that it is getting to the point where it’s too much”.

Sonia McLeod, a hairdresser on Adelaide St, has had to padlock her doors during service hours because she does not feel safe in her own space.

“These problems are chasing people away from coming into town”, she said.

“I was scared leaving work last night”.

Ms McLeod has had problems with anti-social behaviour for years but said it was escalating, and she wanted to see an increased police presence in the area.

“Maybe they could put a Police Beat in a vacant shop in this street”, she said.

“They have to make themselves seen and make themselves active.

“I don’t want to come to work and feel scared to have my door open.

“The community wants a change”.

Still, the passionate hairdresser said she loved her town, she just wanted better for it.

“There’s so much potential here”, she said.

“If they got rid of the feral element, people would come back into town and frequently shop at the stores here”.

Mr D’Zilva agreed “a lot of people have a good vision for the future” but “we just need to keep these politicians honest and hold them to account”.

‘NOT THE MARYBOROUGH I GREW UP IN’: DEPUTY MAYOR SPEAKS HOME TRUTHS

Among Maryborough’s relentlessly positive advocates is Fraser Coast councillor Paul Truscott but by the week’s end, even he had had enough.

“The recent wave of disturbing incidents and behaviour in Maryborough, including Wednesday’s assault at the library and the dangerous actions of a mentally unstable individual under the influence, are bringing our community to a breaking point,” he wrote in a statement on Facebook which he stood by on Friday.

“This individual climbed a local business building and put his life and others in danger walking back and forth on a thin edge of the roof.

“This type of reckless behaviour, which cost our community hundreds of thousands in loss of business by shutting down the street and power, and in needlessly tying up emergency services and resources.”

While praising the efforts of emergency crews and saying his heart broke for the “rapid deterioration” in human behaviour often set against tragic backgrounds, it did not mean this behaviour should go unchecked.

“It saddens me deeply to hear from some residents who regularly tell me they don’t feel safe walking through our CBD now,” he wrote.

“People are being harassed, followed and abused in the streets. People are witnessing regular public urination, defecation and substance abuse.

“How did we get to a point where people no longer feel comfortable in their own community?

“This is not the Maryborough I grew up in, and we cannot allow this decline to continue.”

Calling for a return to effective mental health institutions and drug rehab centres, Mr Truscott said while local police did a “great job”, more boots were needed on the ground as was an increased police presence in the CBD.

“We’re living in a world where people are coddled and wrapped up in cotton wool, where we fear offending people, yet behaviour that threatens public safety is given little to no consequence,” he said.

“Maryborough deserves better, and I believe we can, together, bring back the safe and respectful community we all love and remember.”

‘PEOPLE ARE ANGRY’: CALL TO ‘BAN SLEEPING ROUGH IN CBD’

For community advocates like Nancy Bates, whose work to tirelessly champion her city has earned her a slew of honours including an OAM, Fraser Coast Citizen of the Year and induction into the Queensland Greats Hall of Fame, the rapidly deteriorating situation in the CBD is crushing.

Along with overseeing the recently restored Duncan Chapman statue in the world-class Gallipoli to Armistice War Memorial, the Mary Inc Vice President and her army of volunteers have logged countless unpaid hours as “Flusher Ushers” at the quirky Cistern Chapel – possibly the best toilet block in the country, which has attracted tens of thousands of visitors from around the world.

So, its cruel irony that at a time when so many are working hard to restore Maryborough’s reputation, a miserable minority poses the biggest threat to that goal.

She said the Mary Inc team was most concerned about the boarding house style and low-cost unit accommodation being approved by the council on prime blocks like the old St Stephen’s hospital in Sussex St and above an old gym in Bazaar St which they and Mr Beattie believed would only attract more unwanted residents into the city centre.

“This problem needs to be addressed urgently”, she said.

“There are a lot of people getting angry now and people are just avoiding going into the city”.

The group endorsed the deputy mayor’s media statement condemning the behaviour on Friday afternoon.

Ms Bates believed the council should “ban sleeping rough” in Maryborough’s city centre to break up the concentration of people causing trouble.

“Sleeping rough in the inner-city needs to be addressed first and then behaviour can be addressed in tandem,” she said, adding that despite the frustration there was still an immense feeling of hope that Maryborough could return to its roots and have a prosperous future.

“There’s tremendous community spirit here, and (most of) the people have been wonderful in stimulating Maryborough.”

‘STYLE OF PERSON, NOT HOUSING’: ACCOM BOSS SAYS HIS PLACES AREN’T PROBLEM

Meanwhile, the developer behind much of the Maryborough CBD’s low-cost housing projects, Brad Hall, says the city needs more, not fewer of these projects.

Currently working on more than 200 units, including the transformation of the old St Stephen’s hospital which he said was backed by the church across the road and reverends and ministers, Mr Hall told this publication he “couldn’t put these together fast enough”.

“I think the style of housing is probably not the issue at play here,” he said.

“I think it’s the style of person”.

“What we do is provide accommodation with managers on-site that ensure that none of the people that we have stay in our accommodation are allowed to cause grief or run amok.

“I’ve got hundreds of these (units) on the east coast of Queensland and we don’t have any problems with any of them because we don’t have troublemakers.

“We have very strict rules in play as to who can be there”.

The Maryborough Village owner also insisted the addiction rate of his tenants would be “less than half of one per cent in any one month”.

“I think there should be an awful lot more accommodation in the centre of town,” he said.

‘DURESS ALARMS, INCREASED PATROLS’: WHAT AUTHORITIES SAY THEY’RE DOING

As footage showing the man defecating in the CBD was shared on social media, many responded that he was known to locals as “the trolley man” with dozens of commenters saying they regularly saw his public toileting and had been involved with near-misses in their cars due to his erratic behaviour.

A Queensland Police Spokesman confirmed officers had been contacted about Tuesday’s photo and the man was arrested and “charged with offences under the Summary Offences Act”.

He said police were called to the Maryborough Library about 9.45am on Wednesday and were “aware of an alleged assault inside”.

“Initial reports indicate there was a verbal and physical altercation between multiple people,” the spokesman said.

“No official complaint has been made to police at this stage.”

Asked how police were responding to escalating mental health and drug related safety issues the CBD and whether there was a plan for more officers on the ground, increased patrols of the CBD blocks or any other action, the spokesman said: “Increased set patrols of Maryborough CBD have been continuing since April 2024 when higher levels of public order offences were detected. Police are working with our partners in Department of Housing, Queensland Health, and Probation and Parole to holistically case mange these individuals who are all known to police”.

The Fraser Coast council said that in response to “anti-social behaviour” both at the Maryborough Library and its Customer Service Centre, “enhanced protocols and processes” were in place.

“Council has engaged security guards, reviewed duress and alarm procedures, provided de-escalation training and recently redesigned the Maryborough Customer Service Centre to improve safety.

“In preparation for the Australian Jamboree in January, council and the Scouts have carried out a full safety audit of the Maryborough Showgrounds and Equestrian Park to ensure it is a safe environment for parents and children.

“Scouts are also working closely with the police, particularly on traffic management, to provide a safe

and enjoyable experience for all attendees.

“Council regularly liaises with State Government agencies and has a strong working relationship with

the Queensland Police Service, which has primary responsibility for community safety.

“Council provides police with CCTV footage from our networks as requested.”

Asked to respond to community concerns about ongoing approvals of low-cost housing, a council spokesman simply said: “Every planning application is considered on its merits and in accordance with state legislation”.

Maryborough’s MP elect told his followers on social media he was aware there had been another incident in the CBD (on Wednesday) and he understood the “frustration and anger of the business owners and residents”.

“There are some calls on social media for me to do something about it,” Mr Barounis wrote.

“Unfortunately, at this stage, I am not able to act as my position has not yet been declared by the ECQ.

“After this step has been completed, I would like to have a meeting with all interested parties.

“Making our community safe is one of my top priorities.”