POLICE say offensive graffiti discovered inside a contractor compound near the Point Halloran foreshore has been removed after the matter was referred to Redland City Council.
The Queensland Police Service confirmed it received a report from a member of the public on January 22 regarding alleged offensive graffiti on an item located on private property at Victoria Point.
“The matter was referred to local council and the item has since been removed,” a QPS spokesperson said.
The response follows concerns raised by a local resident who discovered antisemitic and obscene imagery displayed inside an apparent council contractor compound on Rosebud Esplanade, visible from a public footpath along the foreshore.
The material included a large yellow plastic safety figure, typically used to warn of overhead power lines, which had been defaced with a texta-drawn Adolf Hitler-style moustache and hair, along with the German word “NEIN” appearing to come from its mouth.
Crude drawings of female breasts and male genitalia were also visible on the figure.
Taken together, the imagery appeared to depict a Nazi salute and was described by the resident as antisemitic in nature.
“This is something I believe no member of the Jewish faith should have to see in this day and age,” the resident said.
“As for the drawn breasts and male genitalia, no child should be subjected to this either.”
The resident said the figure was clearly visible from the public foreshore, an area heavily used by families, walkers and cyclists.
Cleveland Police were contacted shortly after the discovery, however the resident said the initial response was concerning.
During an initial phone call, a Cleveland Police constable questioned whether the matter warranted police involvement, asking: “How do you see that this is something police would be involved in?”
The resident said he responded by indicating he would escalate the matter to the Mayor and the media if police did not consider it their responsibility, to which the constable allegedly replied: “OK, then you go ahead and do that.”
In a later conversation, the resident said a Cleveland Police sergeant told him: “It’s not really a police matter.”
No officers attended the site at the time, according to the resident.
The incident has raised broader questions about oversight of contractor compounds located near public spaces, how such material was able to be displayed in a highly visible community location, and whether the response was appropriate given the nature of the imagery.
