Gun crime thrives in gangster culture
A LEADING criminal lawyer says violent American television may be to blame for a recent wave of gun crime on the Gold Coast.
Buckland Allen Criminal Lawyers boss Jodi Allen said she had seen show-pony, irrational young men becoming obsessed with US gun culture.
“In more recent times there seems to be a proliferation of, usually younger, members of our community becoming obsessed with American television shows which glorify the use of weapons,” she said.
“It’s not rational but often people use these drive-by shootings as a warning rather than thinking about the consequences. It’s become so normalised because they see it all the time on the TV and they think that’s a thing you do.”
In the past month, there have been four serious incidents involving firearms in suburban Gold Coast.
In early December, Steven Jaison Saillot was shot in the eye at his Roe St home in Upper Coomera.
Last week, Gold Coast woman Paanice Lawrence was charged with murder after allegedly shooting her partner in the back at Southport.
On Monday, a gunshot was fired through the front door of a Plateau Cres property at Carrara and last night an Arundel home was targeted about 9.30.
Former police officer and criminologist Terry Goldsworthy said the wave of shootings in the lead-up to the Commonwealth Games was a concern.
“You don’t want the Gold Coast’s focus to be on gun crimes,” he said.
“(Gun violence) is not out of control but if you’re seeing anecdotally every second day drive-by shootings you’ll start questioning the access to firearms, and is the propensity to use them increasing?”
Assistant Commissioner Brian Codd yesterday said the spate of shootings was “a significant concern” for Gold Coast police.
“Regardless of the particular motive, the discharge of firearms in public places or urbanised areas presents a substantial risk for our community,” he said.
Regional crime co-ordinator for the southeastern region Detective Superintendent Kerry Johnson said motives for gun crime varied.
He said many guns recovered by police in the past 12 months were either heirlooms, guns that had never been registered or stolen.
“When I was a young detective, I believe gun crime was a lot more common.
“Then there seemed to be a period where they were not used as often in crime and now we seem to have got to a stage where there is more reported gun crime.
“Whether there is more or less, but the type of crime they are doing with this shooting into houses, we appear to be having a flow of it at the moment.
“Police are definitely alive to it and we are aggressively targeting it.
“If it’s one or four or 10 in a month we won’t rest until they are solved.”
Police Minister Mark Ryan said “resources that police need to crack down on illegal gun possession and theft” would continue to be provided.
“Our government tightened gun laws to restrict access to high-capacity lever-action shotguns and we opposed the LNP’s attempts to water down handgun laws,” he said.
LNP Leader Deb Frecklington accused Labor of being “soft on crime”.