Burdekin youth crime: Petition calls for more police in Ayr, Home Hill amid crime wave

Thousands of residents in the Burdekin have signed a petition calling for more police on the beat to tackle a youth crime wave that’s been crushing small businesses in the region.

Youths took to social media to boast about their exploits after stealing a safe from a service station in Home Hill on January 25. Source: Instagram

Thousands of residents in the Burdekin have signed a petition calling for more police on the beat to tackle a youth crime wave that’s been crushing small businesses in the region.

A petition calling on the state government to increase the number of officers stationed in Home Hill and Ayr has reached 896 signatures online.

Its understood a further 2666 signatures on 169 pages of the paper petition will also be added.

It comes as multiple businesses in the Burdekin, including the local shire council, were targeted during a destructive crime spree that saw youths torching cars and stealing everything from cigarettes and booze to a safe full of cash.

Until extra police arrive in the Burdekin, locals want the government to fund private security patrols to help keep their communities safe.

Burdekin MP Dale Last, who’s sponsoring the petition, said the community had finally had enough of crime and were demanding action.

Burdekin MP Dale Last and Stephen Wagner with a petition calling on the state government to address crime in Home Hill and Ayr. Picture: Facebook/Dale Last

The petition will be tabled in the parliament sometime later this year.

It comes after a group of rampaging youths allegedly stole a car from a home in Ayr on Sunday morning and went on to attempt to carjack two other motorists in Townsville later that same day.

Burdekin residents were also left fuming when youths went on a spree and broke into six businesses within a matter of hours just before ex-cyclone Kirrily hit on January 25.

A stolen Toyota HiLux was found in bushland along Chippendale Street, Ayr. Source: Instagram

Among those hit was a petrol station at Eighth Ave, Home Hill, which had its safe stolen during a break-in around 2.30am.

Police allege five boys attended the petrol station in a stolen Toyota HiLux utility and broke the front glass doors to gain entry.

Once inside, they stole a medium-sized freestanding safe containing a large quantity of cash, a cash register and a timber collections box.

They then fled in the stolen HiLux before police arrived on the scene.

Youths took to social media to boast of their exploits after stealing a safe from a service station in Home Hill on January 25. Source: Instagram

The youths later took to social media to boast about their criminal antis, posting videos and photos of themselves breaking open the safe and sorting through the piles of cash.

Police said the safe was located by a member of the public at about 6am the same day at Five Ways Rd, Brandon. No money was recovered with the safe.

The Toyota HiLux — which was stolen from a tyre business on Home Hill Rd earlier the same morning — was recovered in bushland along Chippendale St, Ayr about 6.30am.

Police have since charged three teenage boys, aged 14, 15, and 18, in connection with the crime spree.

Originally published as Burdekin youth crime: Petition calls for more police in Ayr, Home Hill amid crime wave