CR LANCE Hewlett has called for more police at Victoria Point and on Coochiemudlo Island after youths ran amok on the island on the weekend, smashing windows, setting alight a toilet block, damaging cars and pulling out signs.
Redland Bay police officer-in-charge Senior Sergeant Steve Graham said the spree by about 10 youths started about 10pm on Friday and went on until about 6.30am the next day.
He said police were investigating two break-ins at houses, damage to cars and street signs, vandalism near the jetty and theft of a bicycle.
Senior Sergeant Graham said the youths were reported to be about 15 to 18 years old.
The group also started a fire in the toilet block near the jetty and are reported to have evaded paying the ferry fare to the mainland.
“Police are speaking to some witnesses and reviewing CCTV footage,” Senior Sergeant Graham said.
Home owner Tanya Templeton said the group ransacked her house after smashing windows to get in.
“They threw food around and smashed the television,” she said.
“Our neighbours phoned us after finding the damage on Saturday morning.
“We are very angry. We have owned the house for 55 years and have never had any trouble.
“The island is peaceful and people look after each other.”
Resident Rod Bradley said he saw road and real estate signs pulled out of the ground when he went for an early morning walk on Saturday.
He said side mirrors on cars parked near the jetty had also been damaged.
“It makes you so angry,” he said.
“We moved here about about 12 months ago. To have scumbags come over for the weekend and trash people’s property … It’s just so senseless.”
Cr Hewlett said there should be police on Coochiemudlo Island on weekends and during school holidays.
“Coochie attracts a lot of tourists and if anything goes wrong after hours, only the Redland Bay Police can respond by boat,” he said.
“It puzzles me that Russell Island and Macleay Island have police stations but Victoria Point and Coochie rely on patrols from Redland Bay and Cleveland.
“The local police do an amazing job but in my opinion they are under-resourced and in the fastest developing part of the city we need more support.”
In August police said youths in groups of at least 10 were reported to be intimidating people in car parks at Victoria Point.
Around that time two 16-year-old boys were also charged with punching and kicking a bottle shop worker during a robbery at Victoria Point.
In June, fences and signs near the intersection of Cleveland-Redland Bay and Boundary roads were defaced with what Cr Hewlett said was some of the worst graffiti seen in the Redlands.
Senior Sergeant Graham said anyone with information could contact Redland Bay police on 3829 4111 or Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000.
