Gold Coast Bulletin
Cop risks job in Ferguson protest
Ben Dillaway
09Jul08
AN off-duty police officer put her children before
her job last night by breaking ranks and joining Carbrook residents in their
quest to get convicted sex offender Dennis Ferguson removed from their town.
Police prosecutor Senior Constable Heather
Steinberg put her job in jeopardy by presenting her boss, Police Minister Judy
Spence, with a 'Get rid of
The mother of two said she was disgusted fellow officers
had to protect
"How do I as a police officer tell my
two-year-old and four-year-old daughter that it is my job, that the Government
and the Commissioner are making me as a police officer protect him and not
them," she said, to the applause of the of the 1000-strong crowd.
Sen-Constable Steinberg, who lives in
"In further jeopardy of my job I today went
around Capalaba and in two hours time I obtained 150 signatures, some of them
from day care centres," said Sen- Constable Steinberg.
"Tonight I've obtained another bundle of
signatures. I know I'm not allowed to do that in my job but my children come
first."
Ms Spence said she realised the police did not like
the fact that they had to babysit people such as
"But they are doing that to protect the rest
of us," she said.
Sen-Constable Steinberg's partner, Brett Powel,
said he was extremely proud of her standing up for what she believed was right.
"Heather has put a lot into the police force.
She wants to serve the community," he said. "She doesn't feel enough
has been done so she's prepared to risk a decade of hard police work for it.
"Wanting to help the community is what made
her become a police officer. She felt it was her calling."
Despite the hundreds of signatures, Sen-Constable
Steinberg's plea fell on deaf ears, as did the demands of the angry residents
who spilled out of a large marquee at the school.
To the boos of the crowd,
Ms Spence said
"Police believe they can protect us and him at
this address so this is where he will remain for the time being," she
said.
"We can supervise and monitor him 24 hours a
day, seven days a week, that's why he has been placed here."
Her firm stance placed the town in standoff with
the State Government last night as residents vowed to drive
"We will remove him then," screamed an
angry protester after Ms Spence said he would remain in Carbrook.
Mother of three Vanessa Bell, who protested with
her children in front of
"If Miles can kick him out so can we,"
said Ms Bell, who held a sign that read 'Our kids deserve better'.
"Spence was bluffing us when she said they
can't put him anywhere else.
"We need to support the community getting rid
of him," she said.
Ms Bell said she had talked about
"I told them he was a very bad man who should
be in jail but somebody let him out so we've got to try and get him back
in," she said.
Emotions ran high at the meeting last night, with
many crowd members breaking down in tears as they pressed Ms Spence for
answers.
Despite the barrage of abuse, Ms Spence stood firm
and answered questions for more than three hours.
She pleaded with the crowd for calm and said
vigilante action would not be tolerated and that one person had already been
arrested for threatening
"I do not want to see anybody in this room
finding themselves in trouble with the law by taking action into your own
hands. There is no need for that," she said.
"We're going to do our very best to make sure
that man is monitored 24 hours a day given he doesn't have to accept our
support.
"He has no conditions on him but he is happy
to accept that support and we will continue to provide it."
Several police officers stood guard around the
school in case of any violent outbursts, while a
number of plainclothes officers guarded Ms Spence on stage.
As Ms Spence was heckled and criticised, more than
100 people maintained the protest out the front of
'Back to jail Dennis' and 'evil rock spider lives
here', were two of the chants they screamed as passing motorists honked their
horns in support.
Carbrook resident 'JB' was one of the most vocal as
he led a group of local men standing in a ute
parked in front of
"Scum lives here," he screamed.
"I've just wet the whistle, Dennis, I'll be here
all night."
Fellow Carbrook resident Bill Tims
stood by JB and said they would not move until
"We want him out. I went to
"It's not safe now. It's not a matter of if he
re-offends but when. He's a repeat offender."
Mr Tims claimed to have
bashed
"Of course I would," he said. "He
got flogged daily in jail."
At the meeting, a neighbour of
"We can't do anything because you have
imprisoned us in our own home," he said.
"Where's my freedom? I have never done
anything wrong and you have locked us in our own home. Our children are
frightened and we are frightened."
Despite the onslaught, Ms Spence continued to
remind the crowd
"If he wants to go walk down
She also defended herself, saying she was not part
of the Government in the eighties when
Police last night blocked off the
section of