CASUARINA residents fed up with a spate of crimes in their neighbourhood are banding together to stop the increasing number of criminals crossing the border from Queensland.

A concerned Casuarina resident, who asked to remain anonymous, said the community was "freaking out” about the increasing rate of break-ins and petty theft in the coastal village.

"There's a massive amount of crime, all the women are starting to freak out, all the males are starting to step up and take care of their families,” the Casuarina resident told Tweed Daily News.

"We're putting together a vigilante group.

"If the politicians and the police can't do anything, we're going to take over.”

A meeting has been called tonight by residents worried about the lack of police presence in the area.

"I had a car stolen last Tuesday and it hasn't been assigned to a police officer yet,” the resident said.

"I was expecting that when your car is stolen, a police officer would come down the next day to take a statement. We've been to the station twice and there's still been nothing done.”

CCTV footage captured in the area recently showed a man walking the streets of Casuarina beside a ute, appearing to be scouting the area for possible theft targets. And in another incident, a young father found himself in a dangerous car chase on the Pacific Hwy as he followed a thief who he caught stealing tools from his ute in the early hours of the morning.

Since the start of the year, Tweed Byron Police District Crime Prevention Officer Senior Constable Brad Foster has been running a campaign to remind the community to lock up their valuables and keep them out of sight.

Police arrested a group of Queensland teens earlier this year responsible for a range of petty thefts on the Tweed Coast.

A community meeting will be held at 6.30pm tonight at Ocean's Retreat, 770 Casuarina Way, Casuarina.