An anti-hooning taskforce struggled to curb the widespread problem plaguing Logan, but a $1 million pledge made by state politicians to combat the issue is poised to make a difference.
The million-dollar strategy would see more anti-hooning cameras equipped with automatic numberplate and facial recognition rolled out across the city.
The funding would also be spent integrating Logan City Council’s CCTV network with the Queensland Police Service and developing a technology capable of identifying cars without number plates.
The announcement comes just one week after MyCity Logan highlighted dangerous driving and hooning trends in the area, with some residents speaking out over safety concerns.
Logan was the first region in Queensland to trial specialty anti-hooning cameras in May 2023.
Three years earlier, the council at the time spent $250,000 on a hooning taskforce designed to “identify new initiatives to help police combat hooning”.
The taskforce comprised of local councillors, council staff, and representatives from the QPS and the Department of Transport and Main Roads.
During that time, “no stopping” signs were installed in industrial zones frequented by hoons, an $8500 grant was shared between five businesses to fund cameras or signage, and three fixed cameras were installed in hooning hotspots.
But the taskforce ended after only two years.
When asked last week what results the taskforce produced, council didn’t say.
However, current mayor Jon Raven admitted the $250,000 taskforce funding could have been better spent.
“My personal opinion is that the Hooning Taskforce wasn’t a good use of ratepayer’s money,” he said.
“I believe that $250,000 would have been better spent providing improved technology and CCTV coverage to assist police.”
He said the community expected all levels of government to respond to the impacts of hooning.
Despite it being the state government’s responsibility, hooning deterrence was one of Cr Raven’s first election commitments when running for mayor in March this year.
At the time, he said fixed CCTV cameras simply “pushes the problem to a different area and nothing is resolved”.
“As Mayor I will support Council providing covert cameras to our local police to combat hooning and dangerous driving,” he said.
Now mayor, Cr Raven said his commitment was supported by council in this year’s budget, and would be “ready to roll out early next year”.
“These cameras can used by police to target hotspots, gather evidence, and disrupt this behaviour by issuing fines, demerit points and impounding cars,” he said.
A Browns Plains family this month said their children were no longer allowed to play in their front yard because of hoons terrorising their street.
This hooning was captured on CCTV and allegedly handed to police.
But the family believes they were “doxed” and then deliberately targeted by the hoons for months afterwards.
The family said they wanted more law enforcement, as well as more police patrolling local roads.
All of Logan’s state MPs banded together to support the $1 million anti-hooning pledge, saying hoons would have “nowhere to hide”.
“They will be caught,” Woodridge MP and Queensland treasurer Cameron Dick said.
“We make no apologies for taking a tough stance on hooning and this strategy is taking that to the next level.”
Cr Raven said the “hard part” for locals was not being able to see enforcement take place.
“Because it doesn’t happen when you hear the screech and smell the smoke – it happens afterwards when the police show up at the hoon’s home or when they intercept them on main road after monitoring them on the CCTV,” he said.
“We have police in our camera room 24/7 and last financial year police used over 7000 pieces of footage from our network for investigation and enforcement.
“I encourage everyone to report the hooning that you see and hear, and police tell me that is the best thing that concerned members of the public can do.
“The more you report, the more data police have and the more resources they can request to address hooning in your area.”
