What gangs?
You make this up!
Community taskforce to combat street gang violence in Melbourne
Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton announces the creation of a taskforce to tackle youth crime in Melbourne.
- The Australian
- 4:14PM January 10, 2018
- SAMANTHA HUTCHINSON
Victorian State Political Writer
Melbourne
Police chief Graham Ashton has rubbished claims that Victorians are too scared to go out at night, slamming as “complete garbage” claims that Melbourne isn’t safe.
At a joint media conference this afternoon, Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton unveiled a new, dedicated community taskforce made up of African community leaders as its next step in battling a wave of violent crime committed by street gangs.
Mr Ashton said Victoria Police had been working with its African community for some time to get a handle on issues including drug use and crime, but escalating public disorder in December had warranted a new approach. He described the new development in street crime as “public misbehaviour in large groups” by young people.
“I’ve heard people say that Victoria is not a safe place to live, that’s complete and utter garbage,” Mr Ashton said.
“What’s changed over recent weeks has been further, I guess an increase in public disorder and public misbehaviour in public by groups of young people.”
Senior police, including Mr Ashton, met with more than a dozen African community leaders this morning to discuss a new strategy to combat the street gang issue, with a taskforce made up of community members deemed to be the best way to combat crime, as well as negative perceptions within the African community.
“We know that the vast majority of African-Australians in Victoria are decent, law abiding people,” Mr Ashton said.
“They are suffering as a result of the actions of a small cohort of young offenders. The African-Australian Community can, and want to, play a role in providing solutions.
“Whilst we are already working collaboratively at the local level, this community taskforce will further strengthen these efforts.”
The meeting came at the end of a fraught six week period in which Melbourne has been rocked by a string of violent events, committed by a small group of thugs — some of which are from Melbourne’s African community — said to be behaving like street gangs.
Mr Ashton, who has just returned from six weeks’ leave, was briefed over December and January on the events and requested a meeting with the community leaders as a priority on his return.
Mr Ashton rubbished claims made by Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton that gang crime had made Victorian residents too scared to go out to residents, and said that Victoria was still among the safest states in the world.
Community leader and personal injury lawyer Kot Monoah said members of the community were among the best placed to deal with issues of youth disengagement within their own community.
“We are in a position where they will listen,” Kot Monoah said. “We have that extra connectivity with the family, we can be culturally appropriate.”
Earlier in the day, community leader Haileluel Gebre-Selassie told
The Australianthat the meeting had been “very positive, very productive” and that Mr Ashton had been receptive to the group’s input.
“Our main message this morning was that we are concerned about the way many of our community’s achievements, the good stories, the good people are being overlooked because of the actions of a very small group,” Mr Gebre-Selassie said.
“Members of our are worried for their own safety because there is a perception this [gang] issue has caught up the whole community.”
Yesterday, Mr Gebre-Selassie said that the delegation would demand tough penalties for young thugs who keep reoffending and more support to help families and teenagers settle, integrate and find jobs.
The group also wanted to raise the issue of economic and social disadvantage affecting the community, and high unemployment rates among its younger members.
Members of Melbourne’s African community are now preparing for a four hour community forum on Saturday in inner Melbourne to canvas more of the issues facing migrant families, and to get a better idea of multicultural service initiatives that are working and those that need improvement.
Acting Premier James Merlino this week has said the government would “throw the book” at young thugs to keep Victoria safe, as he stared down Coalition calls to recall parliament early to rush through bail reforms.
The Andrews government has thrown its full weight behind the police to tackle the gang crime wave, which escalated last month with a string of violent events including an out-of-control house party, a mugging rampage at St Kilda and the bashing of a policeman at a shopping centre.
“This is a serious issue and there are communities who do fear the level of safety,” Mr Merlino said. “We are going to tackle these crimes where they occur, we are going to tackle these gangs where they occur, we are going to throw the book at them.”
“While the vast majority of the African community are law-abiding people, a small number of youth are operating as street gangs. As a result, some communities are feeling threatened and fearful,” the spokeswoman said.
“Victoria Police is committed to working hand-in-hand with the community to ... make these offenders accountable.”
