CBD CALLS IN SHERIFF TO TACKLE GYPSIES
Bosses in CBD street call in ‘sheriff’ to sort out ‘drunk, dirty’ gypsies
SHORT St’s new “sheriff” says problems with vagrants intimidating and abusing workers are so bad he is surprised there hasn’t been a rape or murder.
Gold Coast Patrol Dogs K9 owner Wayne Heneker has been employed to patrol four buildings in the Southport street where vagrants congregate, drink, take drugs, urinate and defecate.
Mr Heneker, who has been working in the CBD since 2011, says the issue is worse than ever.
“Last Friday there was a party going on here. They had armfuls of goon. I’ve caught them shooting up in the bushes out front of No.17 and No.19.
“I’ve seen a guy cooking up heroin.
“I’m surprised there have not been rapes or murders.
“Gold Coast is a beautiful place but when you come down here you just know this is a different place.”
He said he was patrolling Short St late last month when he saw a “suspicious male” following a young woman home.
Mr Heneker said he approached the woman to warn her and then followed her home to make sure she arrived safely.
He said he had friends working in the Queensland Police Service who were “fatigued” from dealing with the problem.
“Police have come up to me and said: ‘so you’re the new sheriff in town’.
“They keep arresting them but they know that is not the answer.
“People are very pleased I’m here. I’ve had staff come to me at 7pm when they are leaving work and say, ‘thank you for being here’.”
Business owners in the CBD have long complained about homeless and drugaffected louts fighting and sleeping in the streets.
It got so bad that some workers had been given duress alarms because they did not feel safe walking the streets.
The Bulletin yesterday reported that some businesses in Short St were paying for additional fencing, floodlights, roller doors and canine patrols to stem the problem.
Mr Heneker said he knew most of the vagrants in Short St by their first names.
He said he tried to build a rapport with them but it was difficult.
“I can have a normal conversation with them and then the next night they are blotto and don’t even recognise me,” he said.
Mr Heneker is being paid by the building owners and body corporate committees of three buildings. One pays for him to look after the Uniting Church, outside of which the vagrants can be found most nights.
A body corporate member for the building adjacent to the church, who declined to be named, said staff were frequently “menaced” by the vagrants.
“We had a storm a few weeks ago and the door to the car park would not close,” he said.
“I went there to get my car and there was a homeless person down there who chased me as I drove out.
“They set fire to the tree in our car park out the back before we fenced it off so they could not get inside.”
I’M SURPRISED THERE HAVE NOT BEEN RAPES OR MURDERS
WAYNE HENEKER