African gang crisis: Community leaders warn ‘dangerously negative view’ could create more violence

AFRICAN leaders have gathered in Melbourne to discuss how to tackle the youth crime wave and stop vilification of the community.

AFRICAN leaders have gathered in Melbourne to discuss how to tackle the youth crime wave and stop vilification of the community.

Almost 30 people attended the meeting in a North Melbourne on Saturday, highlighting issues of high unemployment and family challenges.

Many also raised concerns a small group of teens were creating a dangerously negative view of African Australians, which could lead to more violence.

Organiser Clyde Sharady told the room there was some “bad behaviour among some members of the community” but warned politicians were using incidents for political gain.

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A youth posing with a Victoria Police car.

Victorian Multicultural Commissioner Dr Mimmie Watts said the African community was made up of 54 countries and cultural differences needed to be considered when deciding on plans to tackle the problem.

She also highlighted the role of women in the community and said targeting mothers would be the key, as they had direct links to the rest of the family.

She also said there was a “pocket of disengaged rascals,” but labelling them gangs was not helpful.

Victoria Police community engagement Inspector Stephen Mutton said many issues were “not police issues, they are about the family challenges and how the children were educated”.

He revealed police were actively working with the Department of Humans Services as well as trying to recruit African Australians to the force to represent their community.

“We need to have more African Australians wearing the uniform, we have to have that,” he said.

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Victorian Multicultural Commissioner Dr Mimmie Watts.

Event organiser Clyde Sharady. Picture: Aaron Francis/The Australian

Some attendees came from as far away as Ballarat with a South Sudanese man encouraging unity.

“Our butt got kicked because of what happened in Melbourne. That’s why I am here. What is your problem is our problem.”

Another said the community needed to figure out how to respond to the media when negative publicity occurred.

Opposition spokeswoman for Multicultural Affairs Inga Peulich also spoke at the meeting saying it was normal for problems to occur with new immigrant communities but said “it is usually because there is an issue. We can’t shy away from it.”

Other members talked of personal stories about young men who are out-of-control and impacting on families.

The crowd also heard even highly educated members of the community struggled to find work due to employer bias, which was a challenge for the next generation.

Abeselom Nega a community member working in the unemployment sector said “the first thing we need to do is a community is acknowledge we have issues.”

However, he said the community needed more support and resources.