Police Association Secretary Wayne Gatt says officers feel like they’re “drowning” with continual bail for violent teen offenders

The head of Victoria’s police union says officers feel like they are “drowning” having to repeatedly chase down the same teen offenders, his comments coming after a 17-year-old charged with 57 offences while on bail was again released into the community.

The head of Victoria’s police union says officers feel like they are “drowning” having to chase down the same violent offenders because they are continually bailed.

Police Association Secretary Wayne Gatt said fears about the issue were widespread among Victorian police officers after a 17-year-old boy was again bailed after he was charged with 57 offences over an alleged crime spree across Melbourne.

Mr Gatt also raised concerns over another offender who was recently bailed despite being on 67 sets of bail for previous offending.

“We’re doing the drop 57, 67 times over,” he said.

“Who else in their workplace does the same job for the fun of it?

“Sixty-seven times. What brickie lays the same brick 67 times? What carpenter builds the same house 67 times?”

Wayne Gatt addresses fed-up police union members on Friday. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

Mr Gatt comments were delivered as hundreds of police officers gathered outside Victoria Police’s Spencer St headquarters on Friday to demand better pay and an end to officers working unpaid overtime to get through mounting case loads.

“Sixty-seven times wer’re doing our jobs. Time over. Help us, we’re drowning,” he said.

“Help us keep our police in the job so that we can get out there.

“If we have to do it 67 times, at least there’ll be 1800 more police to help us do it.”

There are about 1800 vacancies in the force, while about 700 current members are on sick leave.

Police officers gathered outside Victoria Police’s Spencer St headquarters on Friday to demand better work conditions. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

Bail for teen charged with 57 offences while on bail

A 17-year-old boy was this week again bailed after he was charged with 57 offences over an alleged crime spree involving 16 car thefts, several home invasions and the torching of a stolen car.

A teenage boy facing 57 charges over an alleged crime spree involving 16 car thefts, several home invasions and the torching of a stolen car has been bailed.

The majority of the vehicle thefts occurred after the boy – who was on multiple sets of bail including for allegedly threatening to stab another teenager - or his associates allegedly stole keys from storage lockers at 24 hour gyms across Melbourne’s western and northern suburbs.

The 17-year-old, who cannot be identified due to his age, is also accused of torching a stolen car, which went on to destroy parkland and threatened a kindergarten in Hoppers Crossing.

Details about the boy’s alleged offending, including that he was on three sets of bail, were revealed during a bail application at a children’s court on Thursday after his arrest a day earlier.

The court heard the alleged crime spree took place over a three-week period beginning on October 31 when the boy or his associates tailgated gym-goers into 24 hour gyms in Werribee, South Morang, Point Cook, Box Hill, Epping and Tarneit.

The group allegedly stole keys from unlocked storage areas before taking off with their vehicles.

A 17-year-old boy has been charged with 57 offences after allegedly going on a wild crime spree.

The boy is also accused of breaking into or attempting to break into homes in Point Cook and Werribee, where cash, wallets and car keys were stolen from.

CCTV footage and phone data allegedly linked the boy to the crimes and he was arrested at an associate’s home in Port Melbourne on Wednesday.

Videos found on the boy’s phone allegedly showed him flaunting cash he had stolen and messages from his worried family pleading for him to come home went unanswered.

Police opposed the boy’s bail application, saying he posed an unacceptable risk of reoffending and the community would be endangered if he were released, noting there were allegations of arson and dangerous driving.

“There are over 50 charges before the court,” Senior Constable Sarah Beagley told the court.

“It’s such an escalation (in offending), so frequent and so recent whilst he’s been on multiple sets of bail.”

Constable Beagley said the boy had not been living at home for at least a month which was in breach of his strict bail conditions.

The court heard the boy was already on bail for allegedly threatening to stab another teenager if he did not hand over his phone at Westfield Doncaster in September.

He was also charged and bailed after allegedly taking off in a stolen car when police tried to pull him over in Tarneit in October.

In that instance, the court heard the boy allegedly drove on the wrong side of the road and took a hard corner, prompting police to call the chase off.

Constable Beagley added it had taken weeks for police to track the boy down and she expected further charges would be laid.

“His behaviour is constant, it’s deliberate and it’s devastating to the community,” she said.

But a Youth Justice worker assessed the boy as suitable for supervised bail.

The boy’s lawyer also said he maintained the support of his parents, who were unaware of his alleged offending, and they were in a position to supervise him if he were released.

A magistrate said while the community would be concerned by the boy’s alleged offending, the risk of reoffending was lessened with the support of Youth Justice.

He bailed the boy on the condition that he abide by a curfew, live with his parents and not associate with any co-accused.

Youth Justice will prepare a report about the boy’s progress when he returns to court next month.