Teenage street gangs face new bikie-style meeting bans, under official new youth crime crackdown

Teenage gangs face new bikie-style meeting bans, repeat youth offenders will be confronted with tougher penalties and bail laws will be reviewed, under an official crime crackdown.

Police arrest an 11-year-old boy in Port Augusta in March last year. Picture: Brett Hartwig

Teenage gangs face new bikie-style meeting bans, repeat youth offenders will be confronted with tougher penalties and bail laws will be reviewed, under an official crime crackdown.

The state government will on Thursday unveil sweeping law and order reforms including a new Bail Act investigation as police data shows more criminals are breaching court warnings.

The crackdown, which the state’s top cop supports, will open a new war on youth street gangs with greater officer powers similar to anti-bikie laws.

Stark government data reveals 20 youths collectively committed more than 600 crimes last year – or 11 per cent of all Youth Court offences – as police intelligence shows a “small cohort” of repeat criminals are “responsible for a disproportionate rate of offending”.

Police guard the crime scene after a 17-year-boy was stabbed in Elizabeth City Centre in October last year. Picture: Mark Brake

Amid community outrage at a spiralling juvenile crime wave, “concerned” ministers will unveil toughened bail laws for serious repeat young offenders and plans for new penalties for teens with extensive criminal histories.

Taxpayers will fund a $3m boost over three years for new “last-resort” intervention programs to lure hardcore youth criminals out of trouble while authorities will convey a justice “roundtable” crisis talks.

Senior government sources said full details were still being thrashed out but one strategy under investigation was for a teenage gang meeting ban similar to Outlaw Motorcycle Gang anti-association laws.

It is, however, understood such laws are viewed as difficult due to legal technicalities centring on a lack of “structure” in teenage gangs compared to bikies who have “officers” and ranks.

Youth crime is in the spotlight after serious incidents including home invasions, shopping centre weapon attacks, regional town violence and young criminals constantly breaching bail.

Westfield Marion was locked down last year after a brawl involving a gang of youths in the food court. Picture: Brett Hartwig

The government, which has come under repeated opposition fire over law and order “failings”, has dumped plans to lift the age of criminal responsibility from 10 years.

Attorney-General Kyam Maher said the South Australian Law Reform Institute bail law review will examine if legislation is “balancing the rights of an accused with the safety of the community”.

Police data shows almost 88,000 bail breaches occurred in six years amid a nearly 20 per cent rise since 2021.

Three teenagers were arrested after a wild Rundle Mall knife fight last month. Picture: 7NEWS

SA’s top two bail offenders were teenagers including one born in 2009 – making them 15 or 16 – who ignored court warnings 169 times from age 10 and another a year older who had 126 charges in four years.

Mr Maher said SA was “fortunate” to have one of Australia’s lowest rates of youth offenders behind only the ACT but new rehabilitation and intervention can “break the cycle of offending”.

“Tougher penalties will send a clear message to those unwilling to engage that there will be serious consequences if they continue down this path,” he said.

He said other reforms included on crime recruiters, online “posting and boasting” and knife crime.

SA Police’s new Youth and Street Gang Taskforce was formed last month after operations Mandrake and Meld merged.

Police Commissioner Grant Stevens, who has voiced “frustration” at bail breaches, said the had worked with the government to develop “enhanced” measures for “serious and recidivist young offenders”.

“(We see) this plan as a step in the right direction to curb the impact of a small cohort of juveniles through prevention and intervention opportunities,” he said.

The Liberals have claimed Labor has “lost control” of crime while the opposition has called for a review into bail laws.