Police under fire for not reining in party

Victorian police officers took nearly six hours to break up an out-of-control youth party.

Kelly, the owner of the Footscray house, above, and the damage caused by partygoers, including holes in walls, smashed windows and a broken TV. Picture: Aaron Francis

Victoria’s police force is again under fire for its handling of youth crime after it took officers nearly six hours to break up an out-of-control party, where up to 150 youths, most of African appearance, trashed a Footscray home as the owner watched on.

Kelly, the owner of the $600-a-night short-term rental in Melbourne’s west, said she called police to the house after neighbours complained of a loud party, and met officers there at 2am on Sunday as the party raged.

She says police told her they would not enter her house to break up the party unless she had proof it was being damaged.

Over the next few hours, the damage became evident with doors smashed, windows broken, pictures ripped off walls and a television thrown from the top floor.

By the time police intervened, at 7.30am, the house, which had been rented out overnight on Bookings.com, had been extensively damaged, furniture was being destroyed in the street and young men of African appearance were verbally abusing neighbours.

Clockwise from main: neighbour Naz Balikel yesterday across the road from the party house. Picture: Aaron Francis

“The neighbours had advised us there were smashing sounds — it turns out they were smashing windows — but the police said if we would prove damage, we could go in,’’ said Kelly, who declined to give her surname. “But we couldn’t go in. I wanted private security, or someone, to go in there so at least we could prove it.”

Police did not answer questions yesterday on why they waited to break up the Footscray party.

Former Victorian police commissioner Kel Glare labelled the force’s handling of African youth crime as “totally timid”.

“We all know that there is a ­serious problem with the African kids, no matter where they are, Airbnbs or otherwise ... they (the police and the Victorian government) just don’t understand,” Mr Glare said.

“In my view, Victoria Police are totally timid.

“It’s okay to be frightened, but to be so frightened that you’re hiding, is very serious.”

Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton declined to comment yesterday on whether police should have intervened earlier, as did the Police Association of Victoria.

The party marks the second time in 10 days that a group of ­African-Australian youths have trashed a short-term rental.

A home was damaged and four police cars trashed in North Melbourne on April 29.

Over summer there were several instances of violent crime involving youths of African appearance, including a home invasion, muggings and out-of-­control parties in rental properties.

The discarded TV. Picture: David Crosling

Victorian Police Minister Lisa Neville yesterday described the event as “unacceptable” but said she trusted the local police station’s judgment to wait to enter the property.

“What occurred on the weekend is unacceptable — there is zero tolerance for threatening ­behaviour or violence towards police or the public in any ­manner,” Ms Neville said. “I trust the judgment and ­decision-­making of Victoria police ­members to enforce the law.”

Opposition Leader Matthew Guy laid blame for the event on soft youth sentencing across the state, saying that police had been demotivated by watching successive teen thugs let off lightly once they were arrested.

“It must be very frustrating and demotivating for the police to put their lives and safety at risk to ­arrest these violent youth gangs only to see them released on to the streets again,” the Liberal leader said.

“Daniel Andrews won’t make the tough decisions needed to keep Victorians safe, which is why we still have this revolving door of justice.”

Kelly yesterday expressed her frustration that police were unable to stop the destruction of her property.

She told Melbourne’s 3AW radio that her insurer had declined to pay for repairs as her policy did not cover malicious damage.

“The police say because these guests, these tenants invited ­people to the house and they had a right to be there, they were not able to enter the building,” Kelly said.

“I think they were powerless ... We all looked in while I could see my house, basically ... being smashed.”

Speaking later outside her house, Kelly said that police told her not to enter the property.

“I was under the understanding that ... they were not tenants,” she said. “But police strongly ­advised against entering the property.”

A Victoria Police representative said yesterday there was no link between the recent out-of-control parties and African youths.

“Dealing with rowdy or out-of-control house parties is not a new issue for Victoria Police,” the representative said.

Damage in the house. Picture: Aaron Francis

“We have been responding to these problems for decades.

“The problem is not tied to any particular cultural community, but rather it is young people more broadly who tend to be involved.”

The wave of violence over summer prompted the state government and Victoria Police to set up an ­African Australian Community taskforce.

Kelly said she had been ­renting the house for several years on short-term rentals site Bookings.com and she had been informed that the group of five booking her house were from ­Adelaide.

It was a last-minute rental and the credit card used to book the home was later declined.

The only sign of damage outside the house yesterday was a large LCD television poking out of a bin.

Neighbours described scenes of chaos during the party and its aftermath.

They said groups of youths arrived at the house, climbing over the fence to get in and climbed on to the roof.

Early on Sunday morning, fighting broke out on the street.

Police arrived about 7.30am and were spat on by partygoers. Seven units arrived and one 19-year-old man from Point Cook was arrested for drunken behaviour. No charges had been laid as of last night.

Kelly said she intended to continue renting out the house.

GRAPHIC: The damage

Bookings.com said the customers involved would be blocked.

“In the very rare and unfortunate instance that a customer engages in unlawful behaviour at a property, we ­encourage our ­partners to reach out to local authorities” a spokesman for Booking.com said.

“In this instance, we have also taken additional precautions to block this customer from making any further reservations via our site.”

Naz Balikel, who lives in the house opposite the damaged property, said groups of teens came to the house in packs throughout Saturday night.

“I came out to chuck something in the bin, and this African youth shouted at me, ‘Hey bitch, f..k you’,” she said.

Neighbour Fran, 70, said she was approached by a group of eight African men as she walked to church on Sunday morning.

“This group of Africans wanted to talk to me,” Fran said.

“I did not like the look of them, they were not peaceful. I’m still feeling very scared.”

New South Sudanese Community Association chairman Ring Mayar did not respond to requests for comment.

The state member for Footscray, Labor’s Marsha Thomson, did not respond to request for comments. Federal Labor MP Tim Watts, who represents Gellibrand, which includes the Footscray area, said it was a matter for the police.