‘It’s heartbreaking’: Residents demand immediate action as crime skyrockets in this area

In the quiet border town of Goondiwindi, a sense of unease has replaced the once-peaceful atmosphere.

The community, home to nearly 6,000 people, is grappling with a surge in youth crime that has left residents on edge and calling for urgent intervention.



‘I get home from work at night, and my eight-year-old wakes up terrified because she thinks someone's breaking in. It's heartbreaking,’ resident Marlana Bishop said.

In just one week, Goondiwindi has witnessed two violent break-ins, with homes vandalised and vehicles stolen.


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Residents of Goondiwindi are calling for immediate action as youth crimes skyrocket. Credit: 9 News Australia / YouTube


An elderly woman was knocked down as thieves took her keys and car, and a teacher was brutally attacked with a baton and machetes while trying to defend himself.

The aftermath is a chilling sight: a collection of destroyed stolen vehicles and burnt-down houses, all attributed to teen criminals.

The proximity to the New South Wales border adds a layer of complexity to the issue. Once offenders cross into NSW, Queensland police have limited authority to pursue or apprehend the culprits.

This jurisdictional loophole has emboldened offenders and frustrated law enforcement efforts, leaving residents like Garry Roberts to lament, 'They've wrecked the town completely.'



The community's outcry reached a crescendo when 150 locals gathered in a park to share their harrowing experiences.

Among them was Graham Smith, who recounted a brutal home invasion where he was beaten with golf clubs.

‘One picked up a chair, like a big dining room chair and cracked that over me,’ he said.

'In the middle of it, I thought I was done, to be honest.’

Young mother Sarah Jane Morris shared a particularly heart-wrenching story of her miscarriage.

‘Due to having our car stolen and the stress of that, I miscarried,’ she said.



The residents are not only seeking justice but also preventative measures.

They urge the premiers of both Queensland and New South Wales to witness the devastation firsthand and to understand the urgency of their plight.

‘Come to this town, go for a drive down just over the border, go and see how many burnt cars there are,’ Bishop said.

Queensland Premier Steven Miles said he was ‘aware of escalating crime'.

‘I understand the police are responding. They've deployed additional police,’ he said.

You can watch 9 News Australia’s coverage below:


Credit: 9 News Australia / YouTube

Key Takeaways
  • Residents of Goondiwindi are calling for action due to a rise in youth crime that has left the community living in fear.
  • The recent crime spree includes violent break-ins, theft of vehicles, and assaults on locals.
  • The town’s location near the New South Wales border complicated police efforts to manage the crime wave.
  • Locals are urging the premiers of Queensland and New South Wales to visit the town and witness the impact of the ongoing criminal activities firsthand.
Have you noticed an increase in crime in your area? What actions do you think should be taken to ensure the safety of our communities? Let us know in the comments below.
 
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As these crime waves are getting out of hand especially when they have weapons, regardless of age lock them up with the harden criminals to scare the living daylights out of them as to what prison life is really like. No parole to shorten their sentences and make them pay for damages, not the parents but real after school work, sell their gaming consoles and phones to help pay their debt. Might make them think before committing another crime but if they continue treat them for doing an adult crime and back in and double the sentence every time. This BS that they're not mature ought to know right from wrong is just an excuse by authorities to not have to deal with the issue.
 
Police won't or can't do their job. So the residents form vigilante groups to combat youth crime. So what do the police do? Come down on the vigilante groups like a tonne of bricks, swiftly and effectively.

Poor wimpy policemen can't do the job they are trained and paid to do but don't like when somebody else takes over the reins. But they have no hesitation in asking the public "if you have seen such and such happen, contact Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000" The height of shriking a task!

Next stop is the judicial system which needs a good dose of starch.
Around here you will only see police in attendance if the crime happens at McDonalds where the cops spend their time.
 
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We are all so fed up with our stupid laws, these youth crims should not be allowed bail, they should be locked up and the parents made to pay for all the damage they do. Bring back the strap in the schools, the poor teachers can't discipline them, the poor teachers are leaving because of abuse from parents and children, parents are to scared to give them a smack on the legs or bum( not a bashing) so the children just do what they like. A few years ago I had trouble with a 10year old boy on my crossing, he kept swinging around the post and could have fallen onto the road, I asked him nicely to not do that, his reply was you can't tell me what to do you F---king bitch I know my rights, then he would run out onto the road while the red man was on, so I told his teachers and their reply was oh him, just don't look him in the eyes and just let him go, we have a lot of trouble from him. I thought to myself now if I let him go the other children might copy, so I rang the Law, and they said if I let him go and he gets hurt I would be in trouble, so I said what can I do, they said you can hold him by the satchel strap or collar, so I waited for him to go grabbed him by the strap, he said get your hands of me you F--king bitch and he had big boots on and kicked me in the shin, I pretended it didn't hurt then the green man came on and I said now you can go, after I finished my shift I went to see his teachers told them what happened and they said they would keep him in after school, and let him go when I have finished, thank goodness I haven't seen him again. With the Teachers leaving and hard to get any teachers now, what is the future going to be, it could become uneducated state, a load of dummy's.
 
The threat of military service hanging over their heads if they misbehave, should be a good deterent. And it will remove them from the towns that have these problems. Once their mates end up in the army for 5 years, and write home about how army life is, they'll think twice before they get into trouble.
 
These low-lifes are laughing at the law and they're not a bit frightened of any harsh penalties as they know the magistrates will give a slap on the wrist and say don't do it again.
When are parents going to be made responsible for what these young thugs are doing? They're ruining peoples lives and any respect for older people has gone out the window. It's time the laws were changed and these thugs made to pay for what's happening in most areas of Queensland, people are living in fear
because no one will stand up to them.
🥺😡
Comes from having a slack woke Government who bleat that they are doing something - burying their heads in the sand perhaps! Time for them to go!
 
Exactly the same is happening inAlice Springs/NT, magistrates should be made accountable for these little thugs because they haven't got the guts to suitably punish them. Check out Action for Alice 2020.
Not just the kids - time to start taking the "parents" to account also.
 
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We need to implement real consequences for these types of crime and behaviour. Jail time or remand homes are necessary, or compulsory national service . As a society , we have allowed this situation to develop. It is time to reintroduce consequences and discipline in the home and school.
Please do not inflict these b-----ds on the military! Juvi or jail - take your pick you little cretins!
 
Always said this would be the outcome when children got more rights than adults. We reap what we sow
 
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