Teen gangs run riot, says mum
- Nikkii Joyce
- 8th August 2008
Police near Chalk Drive after youths found fighting.
THE mother of a 16-year-old boy at the centre of a brawl on Tuesday believes police have wiped their hands of rival teenage gangs running riot across Toowoomba.
The woman, who did not want to be named, said police were downplaying deliberate, violent and planned attacks among Toowoomba's teenagers because of fears of creating community hysteria.
Concerns surfaced again yesterday afternoon after a report of another brawl involving 40 teenagers near McDonald's Restaurant in Margaret Street.
At the same time, the mother abruptly cut her interview with The Chronicle short over fears her son, who was at the restaurant, was involved in the scuffle.
A short time later she told The Chronicle the “brawl call” to police was a hoax, but there was nothing fake about gangs in Toowoomba.
“They (police) need to stop treating us like idiots. We do know there are gangs. We are aware of what's going on and we know it's escalating.
“There are parents just like me all over Toowoomba who know their children are in these gangs. Stop treating us like idiots and damn well do something.”
The distraught mother said her son was at the centre of the Tuesday afternoon fight that began at Chalk Drive after he defended the honour of a female friend accused of being pregnant to another teenage boy.
She said she would not name the gang her son belonged to but could name four others in Toowoomba including “The Toowoomba Foot Soldiers” and the “Mad ****'S Massacre”.
The Chronicle detailed activities of some members of “The Toowoomba Foot Soldiers” in a front page court story on December 18 last year.
“I have constantly told police about my concerns for my son, his unlicensed driving – even going so far as to give police the car registration details, but they do nothing.”
Toowoomba Police Sergeant Peter Hudson said yesterday's incident was a typical gathering of young people and a disagreement between some youths had ensued.
“It was just a minor disturbance,” he said.
“We spoke to a lot of members of the group but no knife was located and no action was taken.
“We're monitoring any group of youths who get together and we're looking to knock any idea on the head that bored teenagers can create their own publicity.”
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