Thousands of residents whose homes are being cased or broken into by criminals clad in masks and machetes are taking crime-fighting into their own hands.
While they have a strict no contact, no interaction policy with offenders, dozens of members of the Rochedale South Neighbourhood Crime Watchers group spend their nights in their cars, patrolling known crime hot-spots in the area.
The group says those behind the crimes – including break-ins, car theft, hooning and even assault – are organised and sophisticated.
Police believe a recent surge of crime in the area that started last year is connected to a string of incidents across the city, ranging from Eagleby to Underwood.
One break-in allegedly saw a woman threatened with a knife and crowbar.
“It is extremely concerning,” Logan police detective inspector Chris Knight said.
“The propensity for violence that we see involves both physical violence against individual victims along with threats of violence involving weapons, predominantly knives and a range of other weapons, which undoubtedly cause enormous concern.”
Mr Knight said many of the incidents, which date back to December, could be linked.
“We do not suspect that it is as neat as one group of people that are committing all these offences – they will be connected, associated in some way,” he said.
The crime surge prompted police to last week announce they were increasing their presence in the area by requesting more officers, increasing high-visibility patrols, and “intensifying” targeted investigations.
Rochedale South Neighbourhood Crime Watchers founder Damion Douglass has spent most nights since last year patrolling his neighbourhood looking for suspicious activity.
Since then, almost 3000 residents have joined the group’s private Facebook page, where they provide updates on suspicious behaviour, share CCTV footage of crimes and offenders, and discuss solutions to the problems.
Up to 50 of these members are willing to patrol local streets in their cars.
The group started in October 2024 following a series of break-ins and a police car chase that passed by Mr Douglass’ home.
He said the group initially involved residents communicating with each other and watching CCTV footage they captured.
“We noticed a pattern – there were people casing the houses during the day and they would hit about three days later. It was like clockwork,” he said.
“It was to the point where we could actually go, ‘hey guys, it has been two days so let’s get on these roads’.
“Then we just happened to capture footage and send it to the police.”
He said the group was now observing criminal or suspicious activity in the area every night.
“You can see where the criminals are going – it’s like pipework.
“They smashed Loganlea a couple of years ago, they smashed Marsden, Springwood has been targeted for a while, and we’re next.
“There’s an issue in Rochedale South, there’s a lot the public don’t know – who are we living next door to and what are these people capable of.”
Mr Knight said the age of the offenders ranged from childhood to adulthood.
“The age, cultural background or any other factors that might be involved in this offending group is largely irrelevant to our investigation,” Mr Knight said.
“This is about finding the people responsible.”
Mr Douglass said the offenders were well-organised, wearing masks and gloves, but no shoes as to not leave traceable prints.
Local detectives suspect offenders are using masks and stolen cars to get around without being identified.
Despite frequently scaring off potential offenders, Mr Douglas said he wasn’t scared of retaliation.
“At the end of the day, we’re not provoking those that want to do crime, we’re not approaching them, we’re literally feeding police what we say.
“We’re just in the right place at the right time, we have our ears to the ground and we’re organised.
“We have foiled more events over the last couple of months than what we intended to – we didn’t realise how much was actually happening.”
Mr Knight advised locals to “not be tempted to take matters into your own hands”.
“You are exposing yourself to incredible personal risk and potentially legal liability,” he said.
“We would encourage you to call the police.”
