Fears grow as bat-wielding vigilantes menace youths at Wyndham Vale
A vigilante group armed with baseball bats patrolling a train station. Welcome to Melbourne’s wild west, which is at breaking point as teens take matters into their own hands in an alarming escalation in local gang tensions.
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Gang-related tension in Melbourne’s southwest is at breaking point as teens take matters into their own hands, fearing police would not act fast enough in an emergency.
A teenager who wielded a baseball bat at the Wyndham Vale train station on Monday said he brought the weapon as “protection” against other teens he claims carry knives.
Tremayne, 17, and a group of friends were at the outer-Melbourne station to confront other young men they believed assaulted and robbed friends Xavier, 14, and Ricky, 17, on Sunday night.
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The weapon-carrying caucasian youths targeted young men of African appearance, looking for African-Australians who had attacked the pair. An ugly stand-off, witnessed by the Herald Sun at the station at 2.20pm, was been described as symbolic of the friction in the community.
“They were threatening us over Facebook,” Tremayne said.
“They just said they were gonna bring knives to the station … so we had our protection. We knew they were going to be after us. We’re not dumb. They come in groups.”
When asked why he felt the need to carry the bat, he claimed police simply would not act fast enough.
After the Herald Sun witnessed the daylight stand-off and reported it on Tuesday, Victoria Police confirmed it would investigate the incident.
A 16-year-old girl from the area, too scared to have her name published, said it was only a matter of time before something bigger happened.
“I feel like there is going to be a massive punch-on real soon, either between all the boys or between the gang and the police,” the teenager said.
South Sudanese community leader Achol Marial said no one would win the way things were going. “It just makes it more difficult for the community to live peacefully if everyone is trying to be a superhero.”
Wyndham Mayor Mia Shaw said: “There is no place in our community for the type of violence and anti-social behaviour that occurred at the Wyndham Vale rail station over the weekend.”
Premier Daniel Andrews said: “Taking matters into your own hands is never a smart idea for you or anybody else.”
“I can understand that they’re obviously particularly frustrated, I think the members of Victoria Police are frustrated, we’re all frustrated that some in our community choose to behave badly,” Mr Andrews said.
“Having said that thought, I would urge people that if they believe a crime has been committed, ring triple zero — that’s for your own safety and to make sure that people are caught and get the justice they richly deserve.”
Mr Andrews said Victorians should put their faith in police and told the offenders involved in the original incident: “You’ll be caught and you will be dealt with.”
He refused to comment on the actions of PSOs at Wyndham Vale station but said he was confident the force would “have a close look” at what happened.
Opposition police spokesman David Southwick said Victoria “clearly had a problem” when teenagers were buying bats not to play sport, but to use as weapons.
“We need more from Daniel Andrews here than talk; we need to understand what he is going to do to reduce this type of crime,” he said.
“There should be no kind of vigilante responses but people need to know that they can feel safe.
“When we are seeing an ‘outback attack’ to crime in the west of our state, it’s just not good enough.
“We need to ensure our police are properly resourced and our Protective Services Officers are also properly resourced. Ultimately, people need to feel safe.”
POLICE PLEAD PUBLIC NOT TAKE LAW INTO OWN HANDS
On the back of escalating tensions in the area, police are pleading with the public not to take the law into their own hands and to call emergency services.
“We strongly discourage people from taking the law into their own hands and to call Triple Zero requesting police assistance if they have any concerns,” a Victoria Police statement said.
“Any behaviour that encourages violence and hatred against others will not be tolerated and is illegal.”
It is understood the African-Australians who were challenged protested that they were innocent during the potentially dangerous incident, which did not erupt into violence.
Anthony Ferrari, whose 14-year-old son Xavier was one of the teens attacked there on Sunday, admitted the altercation was a “terrible look”, but said it showed the tensions that existed.
“There’s more to this than just what has happened today,” he said.
“There’s a right way and a wrong way to go about things. It is never going to end.
“From what I’ve seen tonight there’s a lot of tension.”
In January last year, Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton attributed a string of violent crimes in Melbourne to the work of African “street gangs”.
The issue has been an ongoing concern for police, prompting a summit and taskforce amid soaring rates of carjackings and home invasions.
The Herald Sun captured Monday’s clash after spotting a group of caucasian men in puffer jackets approaching people of African appearance at the station.
They cornered a young African man as he got off the train and began to insist he was part of the group of 20 who had assaulted and robbed their friend on Sunday.
He repeatedly denied the claims, but was surrounded on all sides, eventually calling his friends to come to his aid.
A tense stand-off followed as the two groups hurled words at each other across the station, with the young African men eventually deciding to leave. It was then the Herald Sun saw the caucasian men produce baseball bats and display them in plain sight as the other group walked away.
They continued to walk around the station with the baseball bats visible to anyone who walked past.
Victoria Police has promised to beef-up its presence in the area and engage in talks with youth.
“Additional police resources are patrolling and engaging with youth in the area and the investigation remains ongoing,” the statement said.
There has been no noticeable police or PSO presence at the station since at least 7.30am on Tuesday.
Mr Ferrari said he saw the confrontation take place.
“They recognised them straight away … it got a little bit intense,” he said.
“They started asking him some questions … he’s made a phone call to his mates and they’ve rocked up. I’m glad it didn’t go any further than that.”
Police were called to the scene but the clash was over before they arrived.
Mr Ferrari said the group of young caucasian men had been at the station for most of the day.
The confrontation was sparked after his son and his friend Ricky were robbed and assaulted at the large bus terminal next Wyndham Vale station.
Police are still hunting for two young men of African appearance over the crime.
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