In another sign of rising vigilantism in Queensland, a public notice shared to social media has imposed a strict curfew for ‘all youths’ backed with a call for dads ‘ready to stand up’.
The notice, photographed and then posted to the Blacks Beach Mackay Community Group Facebook page, states there will be a “community enforced curfew” for all youths in the Northern Beaches suburbs from May 22.
“From 10pm till day light, Mon-Sun [sic] any youths caught walking the streets shall be disciplined,” the announcement reads.
“I urge all parents to share this announcement with your family and friends.”
The notice is directed to “all parents in the Northern Beaches area” but specifically calls for fathers “ready to stand up”.
It states a curfew is needed to suppress an alleged rise in “unpunished” break-ins and car thefts in the area.
An anonymous announcement has gone up in Mackay’s Northern Beaches area warning of an approaching vigilante-backed curfew for youths. Picture: Facebook
A Queensland Police Service spokeswoman has confirmed the police are aware of the announcement and are monitoring it.
The Mackay Police Northern Beaches Division encompasses a vast suburban area stretching from Rural View to Shoal Point and ropes in the densely populated suburbs of Andergrove, Beaconsfield, and Slade Point.
Tyler O’Regan, 24, works at the Domino’s in Rural View and said he was partly sympathetic to the idea but it might cause problems for workers at the store.
“For most of the week, we close at 10pm, so that is fine for us,” he said.
“But if they plan (the curfew) on weekends, that might be a problem.”
The store opens until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.
“It (youth crime) is more rampant because the kids know they can get away with it,” Mr Regan said.
“It is more a problem with the justice system for under 18s.
“But the curfew thing, they can’t really legally do it.
“Warning people is understandable but not going up to people.”
The number of unlawful entry offences have more than doubled across the Mackay Northern Beaches division, with 108 recorded from January to April this year compared to 50 over the same period in 2022.
Members of the crowd at an Indigenous gathering at Central Park in Rockhampton on May 12.
The surge has coincided with a growing state-wide trend of frustrated residents taking enforcement measures into their own hands.
In Rockhampton, Indigenous parents met at Central Park to express concerns their children may be targeted by vigilantes in the wake of the fast-growing ‘I stand with Torin’ movement.
“We have concerns about our children, there has been mistaken identity across our country for a lot of years and there has even been deaths from mistaken identity and people caught in the crossfire,” Darumbal man Trent White said.
“Our kids that aren’t out there committing crime are caught in the crossfire of kids and even adults who are.”