Andrews Government leaders missing in action during African gangs crisis

A POWER vacuum has hit Victoria: the government’s top leaders are all on holiday while the state is in the grip of an African gangs crisis.

A POWER vacuum has hit Victoria: the government’s top three leaders are all on holiday while the state is in the grip of an African gangs crisis.

Premier Daniel Andrews, his deputy James Merlino and Lower House leader Jacinta Allan are all on a summer break, leaving the top job to Treasurer Tim Pallas.

Though Mr Andrews is on leave, his Twitter account was yesterday spruiking the benefits of wind farms. But it remained silent on the growing problem of African gangs.

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Wind farms aren't "eyesores".
They're job-creating, bill-reducing, energy-generating machines.
I back them 100%.
Which is why we're doing this: pic.twitter.com/GALWefZseH

— Daniel Andrews (@DanielAndrewsMP) January 2, 2018

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Police Minister Lisa Neville didn’t know who was in charge when she faced media yesterday.

“The Premier is on leave and I’m here, and the acting Premier, I think, is James Merlino at the moment,” she said incorrectly.

Families and Children Minister Jenny Mikakos today defended the government’s top three leaders being on leave.

“It is appropriate that they can spend time with their families, as many other Victorians are doing at the moment,” she said.

“There have been long standing arrangements around acting ministers and that has been the case when the Liberal Party has been in government.”

Ms Mikakos also said youth crime was not a new issue, but denied that the government’s attempts to stop it had failed.

“We have a very significant number of young people of African descent in custody in our youth justice system at the moment.

“The police are doing their job, they are making arrests, young people are being charged and they are being sentenced, including to custody.

“The results speak for themselves. We have a very strong response from Victoria Police and we have a very strong response from the government.”

Acting police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton, in what amounted to a turnaround from Victoria Police’s previous stance, made force command’s strongest comments yet acknowledging that African gangs were a problem.

Mr Patton said the “young thugs” and young criminals were not an organised crime group.

“They’re not like a Middle Eastern crime group or an outlaw motorcycle gang, but they’re behaving like street gangs,” he said. “So let’s call them that, because that’s what they are: they’re street gangs.

“We acknowledge that and we acknowledge there is an issue.”

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African youths loiter outside the Ecoville Community Centre in Tarneit.

A Labor MP said the leadership vacuum at the start of an election year, and in the midst of a law and order crisis, was of concern.

“We need the leadership to be at the top of their game, focused and selling our message to Victorians,” the MP said.

“Everyone deserves a holiday, even premiers, but for the entire leadership to be holidays is wrong.

“And the fact the Police Minister didn’t know who was acting Premier is concerning.”

Ms Neville and Victoria Police yesterday promised to get tough on dangerous violent “street thugs”.

Mr Patton said: “We are in the arrest business. I don’t shy away from that … We will target them. We will continue to lock them up and do what the community wants us to do.”

In other developments on Tuesday:

POLICE announced that gang squad investigators would be deployed to help suburban officers deal with youth crime.

GOVERNMENT research has found that while 80 per cent of people believe in one law for all, only half think that this applies in Victoria.

POLICE denied failing to acknowledge a problem with the gangs or that young Africans were over-represented in crime statistics.

FOUR MPs in seats near gang violence hot spots are understood not to live in the areas.

Alarm over gangs is shaping as a key issue in November’s election, as Labor MPs fear voters will “smash” the government if it fails to act.

Concern has emerged from within caucus about Labor’s chances in the seats of Tarneit, Melton, Cranbourne, Narre Warren North and Narre Warren South. It is understood MPs in four of the five seats live outside the electorates, opening the party to criticism it does not understand residents’ fears.

The trashed Ecoville Community Centre in Tarneit. Picture: Nicole Garmston

Melton MP Don Nardella, who won’t contest the poll after being embroiled in a rorts scandal, said those airing such concerns were cowards.

“The only person who knows anything about Melton in-depth is me, and any caucus sources would be absolutely wrong,” he said.

Police say the rise in African youth offenders was brought to a head following three incidents in December. Those included a wild Airbnb house party at Werribee in which teen thugs pelted authorities with rocks.

Also, Tarneit locals near an Ecoville community park were left living in fear. Last week the Herald Sun reported on how gangs had turned a family park into a no-go zone.

Mr Patton announced a gangs squad would be deployed to assist local investigators in dealing with African youth crime.

“In addition to that, 24 extra police have been deployed to Wyndham, with another 17 to come up in the near future,” he said.

Ms Neville said it was “unacceptable” that people in some areas were being terrorised and were living in fear.

“It won’t be tolerated. Victoria Police will put a stop to this and they will hold these people accountable,” she said.

The Police Association said declining numbers at police stations must be restored.

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