Two people have been caught on CCTV allegedly using a makeshift flamethrower to try set fire to public property in Launceston’s Brisbane Street Mall overnight.
The footage, captured by a local business’ security cameras around 1:20am on Monday morning, shows the pair attempting to light a council promotional banner hanging from a light pole and trying to set fire to a Telstra payphone before successfully setting a council bin alight.
Firefighters arrived quickly and extinguished the burning bin.
Police said they responded to reports of a fire in a rubbish bin in the mall shortly before 1:30am.
“The fire was contained, however the bin was destroyed,” a Tasmania Police spokesperson said.
“Three youths were spoken to and given formal cautions.”
Robin Smith, manager of Coffee Republic in the mall, said the incident was part of a noticeable spike in youth-related antisocial behaviour.
Smith, who has run his business for around 20 years, said the problem has worsened since council-funded security officers were stationed at the nearby St John Street bus interchange.
He said young people were simply being pushed from the interchange into the mall.
“Where do you expect the kids to go?” he told Pulse.
“There’s no reason the security guards are just patrolling the interchange bus stops. I mean, the mall is as much council property as the bus stop.”
Smith said he’d raised the issue at a council meeting and received nods of agreement, but nothing had changed.
He said the mayor had acknowledged hearing about the displacement effect from other sources as well.
Smith said other shopkeepers in the mall had also noticed increased shoplifting and disruptive behaviour since the security patrols began at the bus interchange.
He acknowledged that conditions in the mall had generally been improving thanks to police efforts but said this recent spike was undoing that progress.
Smith said he’s called on the council to expand the security patrol area to include the mall rather than focusing solely on the bus interchange.
Launceston Mayor Matthew Garwood said anti-social or criminal behaviour has no place in the community.
“The overwhelming majority of people do the right thing, but for the very small minority who think causing trouble, intimidating others or damaging our city is acceptable, it’s not,” he told Pulse.
“If anyone witnesses anti-social or criminal behaviour, or has information that may assist, I’d urge them to contact Tasmania Police so it can be followed up appropriately.”
