Bikie VLAD laws: Police warn of nightmare over anti-association law change

QUEENSLAND police believe a proposal to change anti-association laws would be a “nightmare” in dealing with outlaw motorcycle gangs.

Cops warn of bikie ‘nightmare’

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POLICE will have to divert valuable resources and spend hundreds of thousands of dollars monitoring non-convicted bikies on every motorcycle run if anti-association laws were axed, senior officers warn.

Officers told The Courier-Mail anti-association laws were critical to smashing outlaw motorcycle gangs and a proposal to change them to anti-consorting laws would be a “nightmare”.

Anti-association laws ban three or more members of a gang being present in public, while the anti-consorting laws, already used in NSW, are limited to criminals with convictions.

Warnings are issued before a person is charged with an ­offence.

Under changes proposed by the taskforce into bikie laws, three bikies each with “organised crime offence convictions” in the past 10 years would be required to meet together before being charged with a consorting ­offence.

The proposal has raised concerns that criminal bikies, such as senior bikies who have not been convicted of an ­offence, would be able to ride together, possibly in large groups.

Bikie gangs previously held as many as 12 “poker runs” a year in Queensland, where they travelled around the state, while national runs with larger numbers also took place.

Officers estimated policing bikie runs previously cost about $100,000 each event.

“We really don’t want them riding again,” a senior police officer said.

“Anti-association laws are vital – they are critical in respect to stopping the intimidation value of bikies.”