Members of the Gold Coast District Crime Prevention Unit are still recovering from a massive three days at the Gold Coast Show.  The number of people who came over to visit our stall and checkout our highway patrol vehicle was awesome.

The appreciation and support you shared with us for what the men and women of the Queensland Police Service are achieving on the Gold Coast was very touching – thank you! This support was also shared with the ladies from the Community Supporting Police Unit (Helping Hands) by way of purchasing their cute and fluffy police dogs and teddy bears.

Also along for the ride was the very dedicated members of Neighbourhood Watch. It was great to see so many people signing up for the new Neighbourhood Watch Blog. All those who took the time were placed into the draw for a new 16GB iPad Mini, which was drawn on Monday, September 1.  The winner was Shannon from Mudgeeraba. Congratulations Shannon!!!

Can I have a show of hands from all those car owners out there who regularly leave their personal belongings in their vehicle? Whether it be your coin stash, handbag or gym bag, tools, or some kind of electronic device such as an iPod?

Based on the number of steal from vehicle offences being reported within the Gold Coast District, I would put my money on the fact there is an overwhelming number of hands flying sky high right about now!

When you leave these types of property items in your vehicle in plain view, you are providing a visual catalogue to would-be thieves who are more than happy to relieve you of your personal belongings and “shop” at your expense.

Primarily these offences are opportunistic in nature, don’t give thieves a reason to stop at your vehicle.  Take personal property items with you or secure them in the boot – that old chestnut out of sight out of mind.  Never leave your wallet in your vehicle – bank cards are being stolen and subsequently used to commit linked fraud offences through pay wave/tap & go.

Really simple stuff but very effective.

Senior Constable Kenji Mckee and Senior Constable Sean Flanagan attended Sakura Gakuen Japanese Language & Culture School on Saturday the 6th of September 2014. Sakura Gakuen is a non-profit school run by the Japanese Society of Gold Coast that not only teaches Japanese language, but also its culture and tradition.

Senior Constable Mckee and Senior Constable Flanagan delivered a presentation to students, parents and teachers of the school in both English and Japanese. The presentation was intended to inspire Japanese cultural background residents on the Gold Coast to consider a career in the Queensland Police Service.

The school principal Mrs Jackie Mikami mentioned that the presentation was a great hit with the students and looked forward to similar engagement and interaction opportunities with the Gold Coast Police in the near future.

Sexual Violence Awareness Week was an initiative of the Gold Coast Centre Against Sexual Violence Inc. (formerly Sexual Assault Support Service), which began in 1996.
By 1998 it had become Sexual Violence Awareness Month and had spread throughout Queensland, co-ordinated by Sexual Assault Services in various regions. In 2002, the then Premier, the Hon Peter Beattie, formally proclaimed the month of October Sexual Violence Awareness Month in Queensland.

The overall aim of this campaign is to work towards the elimination of sexual violence in our community through education and awareness.

So what is sexual violence? The term refers to any sexual behaviour that is unwanted and makes a person feel uncomfortable, frightened or threatened. This includes:

• child sexual abuse and incest
• sexual harassment
• unwanted sexual texts, photos, emails, posts and/or messages
• rape and attempted rape
• having sex with someone who is drunk, out of it, unconscious or asleep.

Sexual violence is a serious crime, and the Queensland Police Service takes all complaints of sexual violence extremely seriously.

During the month of October a number of events have been planned. This calendar can be viewed at www.stopsexualviolence.com, and where possible, please show your support by actively participating in one, or more of the planned events.

If you require further information in relation to the events planned for October or you would like to seek support, the Gold Coast Centre Against Sexual Violence can be contacted on ph: 5591 1164 or emails admin@stopsexualviolence.com and counselling@stopsexualviolence.com.

The recently formed Paradise Waters Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) group was active last week when a local resident of the area noticed that his vehicle and home had been unlawfully entered by unknown persons and personal items of property had been stolen. As a result a message to the Paradise Waters NHW email address lead to contact being made with the Surfers Paradise police station and the attendance of Constables at the resident’s address. Police investigations at the offence location including the viewing of the resident’s CCTV footage lead to a suspect’s fingerprint being located on an item on the resident’s property.

The suspect was known to police and subsequently on September 29, 2014, Detectives from the Gold Coast Property Crime Unit executed a warrant at the identified suspect’s address where items of property stolen from the Paradise Waters premises were located.

The suspect was interviewed by Detectives and was formally charged with breaking into the premises of another person. The defendant appeared in the Southport Magistrates court on September 30, 2014 where the matter was adjourned until December 19, 2014.

This example of the Paradise Waters Neighbourhood Watch group and local police working together as a community to reduce crime and enhance community safety, is the Neighbourhood Watch philosophy!

If you would be interested in becoming involved in a Neighbourhood Watch group information can be obtained by contacting your local police station or by subscribing to http://goldcoast.nhwq.org

QPS Guests of Acting Chief Superintendent Des Lacy, District Officer, Gold Coast District

On Wednesday, October 8, 2014 Rob Molhoek MP, the Member for Southport & Assistant Minister for Planning Reform, and his wife Melinda Molhoek hosted a lunch at the Parkwood International Golf Club in support of the Gold Coast Centre Against Sexual Violence and Domestic Violence Prevention Centre.

Special Guest Speaker Mrs Lisa Newman, the wife of The Premier, the Honourable Campbell Newman MP, attended the luncheon and spoke very passionately about the need to address the social issues that ignite, and often perpetuate the cycle of domestic and family violence. Mrs Newman also took the opportunity to thank those who work tirelessly in this arena to make a positive difference in the lives of so many.

The Special Taskforce that has been established by the Newman Government was also mentioned by Mrs Newman. The aim of this Taskforce is to investigate domestic and family violence in Queensland and ultimately provide recommendations as to how the government, working in partnership with the community, might reduce its occurrence. It is chaired by the Honourable Quentin Bryce AD CVO and comprises four Members of Parliament, two expert community representatives and an Indigenous representative.

During the course of the afternoon a number of raffles were drawn with all proceeds donated to the Gold Coast Centre Against Sexual Violence and Domestic Violence Prevention Centre.

The luncheon and raffle prizes were sponsored by Parkwood International, James Frizelle’s Automotive Group, Sea World Resort & Water Park, Village Roadshow Theme Parks, Marriott Resort Surfers Paradise, Australia Fair Shopping Centre and O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat.

A great afternoon was had by all and much-needed funds were raised for a worthwhile cause.

Event organisers and sponsors and QPS Staff with Guest Speaker Mrs Lisa Newman

On September 20 – 21 the Surfers Paradise Volunteers in Policing, Pat Miller (also from the Paradise Waters Neighbourhood Watch group) and Julie Wilkins assisted the Surfers Paradise Police in the Kids Week Festival in Surfers Paradise which was presented by Zagame’s Paradise Resort.

In consultation with Elise Johnson Event Executive from Surfers Paradise Alliance a police marquee was position on the Esplanade up at the beach front. The display consisted of Police resources including Police Rhinos, Police Motor Bikes, Police Dog Cluedo (Costume) all being located at the site for the kids (and parents) to touch, ride on/sit in and experience for themselves. There was also take home items including police related stickers, tattoos, wrist bands, pens, blue/white balloons, blue and white iced donuts, crime stoppers merchandise and educational pamphlets etc.

Police Officers from SPPS, the RPU GC District, the GC District PLO and our Volunteers in policing were on hand to undertake breath tests of the kids and discuss policing, community safety and any other topics the children and parents wished to raise.

A big thank you to Pat and Julie in particular for their time in making the police display such a success within the eyes of the children attending and their families.

We will be at Nerang Bunnings at Mortenson Road from 9am til 12 noon on Wednesday, October 22 to fit one way screws to your number plates for free. Hope to see you there.

On Saturday, October 18 the Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) State Conference was held at Caloundra.  The conference was officially opened by Commissioner Ian Stewart, Queensland Police Service, who spoke in volumes about the fantastic work ethic of our NHW volunteers and wished to thank each and everyone of you for your commitment.

During the conference we were privileged to hear from a number of guest presenters who included the following:

Inspector Carlee Mahoney, New South Wales Police

Mr Bruce Morcombe, The Daniel Morcombe Foundation

Mr Dennis Obst, NHW Volunteers Association, South Australia

Federal Agent James Braithwaite, Australian Federal Police

Mr Greg Beale, Crime Stoppers Queensland

Mr Robert Brumm, Office of Fair Trade

Ms Ingrid Stonhill, CEO Neighbourhood Watch Australasia

Ms Jonty Bush, Motivational Speaker

We also heard from a number of Queensland Police Service Officers who spoke specifically about their “patch” and willingly shared their ideas and concepts that worked well for them in addressing local crime issues and enhancing the relationship between the police and the community.

The information provided by all presenters was very insightful and managed to stir up plenty of inspiration, passion and motivation to propel us into the next year and beyond.

Relevant to the Gold Coast District, our Police Officer of the Year Senior Constable Kurt Foessel won the NHW Police Liaison Officer of the Year Award and Colin Milne of Runaway Bay 9 received the District Member of the Year Award for 2014.

Awesome effort guys, a huge congratulations to you both.  Very well deserved.

A/Senior Sergeant Adam Buckby, Executive Officer of the Gold Coast District Disaster Management Group, advises the following:

When it comes to extreme weather events in Queensland, it’s not so much a matter of ‘if’ but ‘when’. The more prepared we all are, the faster we’ll bounce back afterwards.

That’s why we’re asking for your help to Get Ready Queensland.

Queensland is vulnerable to many natural and man-made hazards.

Cyclones and Bushfires are two of the major threats to Queenslanders and our homes. The links below will take you to resource pages which will help you find the information you need to Get Ready.

• Storms
• Cyclone
• Flood
• Bushfire
• Heatwave
• Landslide
• Earthquakes
• Tsunami
• Pandemic

During a disaster a lot of bad things happen. That’s why everyone needs a [WHAT-IF] plan:

[WHAT-IF] you are left without power?

[WHAT-IF] your house or property is damaged?

[WHAT-IF] the water supply was cut?

[WHAT-IF] you need medical assistance?

[WHAT-IF] you have pets to look after?

The link below will help you Get Ready for any disaster. You will find fact sheets, tips and links to resources which will help you start a [WHAT-IF] plan.

https://getready.qld.gov.au/what-if

Further if you’re looking for info about a disaster happening in Australia now? Visit the Queensland Disaster web site, ABC Emergency, Google crisis map or your local council.

Is your child attending ‘Schoolies’ this year?

Do you want to know more about what happens at schoolies?

Representatives from support organisations including the Queensland Police Service, Red Frogs, Crime Stoppers, Liquor and Gaming Regulation and Queensland Health Services will help you to be more informed and prepared.

WHERE: Upper Coomera Community Centre, 90 Reserve Rd Upper Coomera

WHEN: Thursday, November 6 from 7:00pm til 8:30pm

Hope to see you there!

The Gold Coast District Crime Prevention Unit are holding two community events where you can have anti-theft one way screws fitted to your vehicle registration plates FREE OF CHARGE.

Stop thieves in their tracks. Using one way screws on your car’s registration plates can help prevent them from being stolen. This is especially important if you regularly park your vehicle in shopping centres, train stations or leave your vehicle parked on the street.

Come along to one of the following events and take advantage of this free offer:

Wednesday, November 5 from 9:00am to 12:00pm at the Arundel Bunnings Warehouse located at 292 Brisbane Road, Arundel.

Saturday, November 15 from 9:00am to 12:00pm at the City of Gold Coast Council Chambers located at 135 Bundall Road, Bundall – Special guest appearances on this day by members of the hit new tv series “Gold Coast Cops”.

We hope to see you at one of these events.

The Gold Coast District Crime Prevention Unit are hosting another anti-theft one way screw event. On Saturday, November 15, 2014 we will be at The City of Gold Coast Council Chambers located at 135 Bundall Road, Bundall between 9am and 12 noon.

I can confirm that members of the Rapid Action Patrol (RAP) Group and their Commander in Charge, Superintendent Jim Keogh, who feature on the hit new TV series ‘Gold Coast Cops’ will be in attendance.

The event offers the community a unique opportunity to meet and greet these officers whilst having their vehicle registration plates changed over free of charge to anti-theft one way screws. Using one way screws on your vehicle’s registration plates can help prevent them from being stolen and subsequently used in the commission of further offences such as petrol drive-offs.

So be sure to come along and take advantage of this free offer. We look forward to seeing you there.

With the warmer weather upon us there are plenty of people heading down to the beach to cool off, and in some instances, are inadvertently becoming the victim of property crime.

Unfortunately, while in the water offenders are targeting valuables and car keys that are left on the beach in bags or wrapped up in towels/clothing.

If you have formed the intention to visit the beach for a swim please ensure that all valuables such as jewellery and large sums of cash are left at home in a secure place.

In relation to your car keys, if you are visiting the beach solo and don’t have anyone who can stay with your property and council lockers are not available where you swim, you may need to use your imagination as to where you can hide them.  If you are secreting them in the wheel arch of your vehicle you may need to rethink that strategy as this little spot is what is known as an “international secret”, in other words … we all know about it, including the offenders!!!

You may want to do something like cutting an empty sunscreen container in half and hiding your keys inside by slipping one of the halves inside the other.  Just an idea to get your imagination flowing.

Please remain vigilant on the beach and keep an eye on your property when it’s left unattended.

On Sunday, November 30 Police again joined with the Palm Beach Neighbourhood Centre at Palm Beach Parklands for the annual White Ribbon Awareness day. This is the third year at this location and the 2nd year of the Tug of War.

Member of Parliament Michael Hart, local counsellor Daphne McDonald, the AFL Suns, White Roo Defence Academy were among those in attendance.

White Ribbon is Australia’s only national, male led Campaign to end men’s violence against women and encourages men to come together to raise awareness and support each other to manage behaviour.

Vision – All women live in safety free from all forms of men’s violence.

Mission – Making women’s safety a man’s issue too.

The management and staff of Surfers Paradise Police Station would like to invite you to our Open Day on Sunday 11 January 2015 from 10;00am to 2:00pm.

This is a great opportunity for us all to get to know our local community members and to work collaboratively – with a view to stop crime and to increase community safety within Surfers Paradise and the surrounding area.

Please join us on Sunday, January 11 and:

• Take a guided tour of the Police Station
• View displays by:

The Queensland Police Bomb Squad

Gold Coast Water Police

Gold Coast Dog Squad

Road Policing Command

• Meet Police Dog Cluedo our friendly mascot – the kids will love him
• See some of the resources and equipment used by Police Officers every day in Surfers Paradise – Beach Rhinos, Police Motor Bikes and Transport Vans
• Enjoy a free sausage sizzle

We look forward to meeting you at our Open Day and also to working with you to make Surfers Paradise a great place to live.

JB MUNCKTON

Officer in Charge

Surfers Paradise Police Station

Gold Coast District

Today is International Volunteer Day and we would like to give a special shout out to the volunteers who help us in the Gold Coast District. Volunteers who assist us include community members who volunteer for Neighbourhood Watch (NHW), Crimestoppers, Volunteers In Policing (VIP), and PCYC.

Often the same people volunteer for various organisations and their tireless work contributes to the community. Volunteers are a extraordinary people who give up their own time to assist and for that we thank you.

Given that it is International Volunteers Day today, it gives us the perfect platform to thank all those wonderful individuals who are involved in the Volunteers in Policing Program on the Gold Coast.
The work you do is invaluable to the Service and we are very appreciative of the time, commitment and quality of work you provide us.

It is these volunteers who willingly put their hand up to do night work during the first week of Schoolies to assist Police with ensuring the safety of these young revellers and their personal property.  Amazing effort guys, very proud of the professionalism you all exude, not only at special events, but each and every day you wear the uniform.

The below image is of one of our Logan VIPs who accepted our certificate of appreciation presented by Education, Training and Employment Minister John Paul Langbroek MP Member for Surfers Paradise acknowledging our efforts during the Schoolies response.

The second gathering of the Southern Gold Coast Womens World Cafe conversation was recently held at the Southern Cross University.

Facilitated by the Anti-Discrimination Commission Queensland the room was filled with enthusiasm and good will with some great ideas and action already occurring to build a fair and inclusive community. Together we can make a difference. Can you?