Victoria Police chief wants his officers to know when young thugs are released
AN AFRICAN community leader has backed a proposal to give officers access to intelligence about youths in the justice system so they are not “caught out” when newly freed thugs go straight out on crime sprees.
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POLICE are being kept in the dark about when young criminals are being freed from custody to roam the streets.
Police chief Graham Ashton wants his officers to have access to intelligence about youths in the justice system, so they are not “caught out” when newly freed thugs go straight out on crime sprees.
And an African community leader on a new police taskforce to tackle crime by young African-Australians has backed the proposal.
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On Tuesday, a masked man who broke into an Albion home held a knife to the neck of a mother who was sleeping near her young child.
Ed, who did not give his surname, said his fiancee, Trang, had hidden with their son in the bathroom, fearing for her life.
Three males, armed with a hammer and knife, fled the home through a window.
That ordeal was just one of a spate of such home invasions and robberies by youths in Melbourne this week.
Mr Ashton said the force had noticed a surge in post-release crimes by a core group of young offenders.
He said: “What’s been a frustration for us for some time is that we weren’t given information on when people were coming out.
“The people responsible for juvenile detention would not tell us — intentionally. For community safety, we feel that we need to know.”
Mr Ashton said an attitude that freed offenders had done their time and Victoria ought not become a “police state” was “what really sits behind us not being told … Our officers would love to get all that information so we’re not caught out ... we do want to know, so we can plan ... particularly when dealing with core recidivist offenders.”
South Sudanese youth worker Ahmed Hassan — who has greeted teen crooks on their release date to get them involved in education and sport — backed the calls for reporting of releases.
He said it would help community groups immediately connect with young people “so that they don’t pick up back where they left off”.
From this week, the Youth Parole Board has been required to inform police of the release of “serious” young offenders — those committing crimes such as murder, aggravated home invasion and aggravated carjacking.
The government would not say when or how police would be told.
Police Minister Lisa Neville said legislation passed in December was a step in the right direction.
“(The youth parole board) must notify Victoria Police of young people who are involved in serious offending when they’re released, or about to be released, that commenced (on Monday).”
“There are processes that are being put in place that will ensure the parole board link directly to Victoria Police so that they will know exactly who is being released, and when.
The term “serious” applies to crooks who have committed crimes such as murder, aggravated home invasion and aggravated carjacking.
The Department of Justice and Regulation would not say at what stage police would be notified or how they would be told.
Spokeswoman Kim Armstrong said: “The Victorian Government has invested in an improved intelligence gathering function ... we are working with Victoria Police to continue to improve these processes”.
Opposition Police and Corrections spokesman Ed O’Donohue said: “It beggars belief that despite the crime wave engulfing Victoria that Victoria Police doesn’t get told when hardened young offenders are released from custody.
