Frustrated residents and business owners of the Burdekin have called for drastic action from the Labor state government such is their frustration with the spiralling crime rate.
Member for Burdekin, Dale Last, heard first hand from locals on Wednesday morning as they shared their experiences as victims of crime.
“People are frustrated and angry due to the actions of a small group of offenders who are running riot in the Burdekin,” he said. “Queenslanders have the right to feel safe no matter where they live and that is a right that this state government has ignored for years now.”
"Burdekin residents are demanding an immediate increase in Police numbers at both Ayr and Home Hill stations as well as additional plain clothes officers. The group has also called for government-funded security patrols because they no longer feel safe.
“Between July 2022 and December last year we saw Police Officer numbers in Queensland fall by 322. Requests for additional Police in the Burdekin have fallen on deaf ears and it is the community that is left to pay the price.”
'It shouldn't be the responsibility of community members to conduct patrols after hours to determine young thugs.
“Community safety is a state government responsibility and, just like people throughout the Burdekin, I am sick and tired of this state government’s empty words and broken promises.”
Attendees at Wednesday's meeting were also scathing of the judicial process and believe juvenile offenders are not being held to account
“We have the situation where a local tradesman no longer takes appointments on a Monday morning because he knows he will spend every Monday morning repairing damage to schools caused by a small group of thugs,” he said. “That is completely unacceptable anywhere in Queensland, let alone in a community like the Burdekin.”
“Ask anyone in the Burdekin and they will tell you that the current approach simply isn’t working. The LNP has been calling for consequences for actions and if that means these offenders spend time in custody then so be it.
“We need the Police resources to ensure that offenders are apprehended and we need the courts to ensure community safety is the number one priority.”
“We were promised increased Police resources in response to a recent spike in crime but what we actually saw was young offenders preying on homes and businesses in the middle of a natural disaster.”
“The fact is community frustration has reached boiling point. We are sick of words, and we are demanding action.”
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