Gang violence looming as poll issue in swag of Victorian Labor seats

Victoria’s Labor government is fighting to contain street gang concerns in a swag of safe seats.

Tarneit resident Arnav Sati has 6000 signatures on a petition demanding more police powers to control thugs. Picture: Aaron Francis

Victoria’s Andrews government is fighting to contain the fallout of street gang violence in a swag of safe seats where residents who have had enough of feeling scared have started petitioning for ­immediate government action.

Tarneit resident Arnav Sati has attracted more than 6000 signatures in just three days with a petition demanding the government fast-track changes to bail laws and give police more powers to immediately control thugs who commit violence on the street.

The IT analyst, who has lived in Melbourne’s west for more than 20 years, said the region ­always had crime issues, but the nature of offending had changed, with residents in the firing line of teen thugs.

“We’ve always had crime on the street, but it just feels as if it’s coming into our homes,” Mr Sati told The Australian.

“It’s just stressful around here. You come to your home to relax but there’s always stress when you drive from Tarneit home at night and whether you’ll be safe in your car, or whether it’s safe taking the dog to the park at night.”

Mr Sati says that politicians in Labor safe seats such as Tarneit have taken their positions for granted and have been unresponsive in addressing a crime issue and the growing fears for community safety amid home invasions and carjackings.

“It’s as if the MPs think they’ll always be in power so they stay ­silent, but what they don’t realise is having a line on safety in your manifesto isn’t enough. You have to act on it,” Mr Sati said.

A Labor MP said the leadership knew the summer crime wave had put the party “under pressure” but said a decision had been made to back the police to handle the situation.

The MP added that there was an awareness in the party’s ranks of growing disenchantment within the Indian community, which makes up a powerful voting base in marginal seats affected by gang violence, including Cranbourne, Pakenham and Tarneit.

The MP said Premier Daniel Andrews was on a trip to India next week, and the government on his return would be forced to turn its attention to the street crime issues to get the community back on side.

“Crime isn’t new and a state is always going to have problems in some areas or some communities, but there’s a perception in the suburbs that police and the government haven’t been tough enough on crime,” the MP told The Australian.

Indian residents make up about 19 per cent of Tarneit’s population, and comprise more than 4 per cent of the population across 21 seats.

Residents in Tarneit’s Ecoville Estate yesterday attended a working bee to paint over graffiti and pick up glass and other rubbish in a park trashed by young thugs.

Working bee organiser and local resident Luke Mitchell said that a police clean up of stolen, burnt-out cars and a heavier patrolling presence had pushed the teenagers out of the park and restored a sense of order in the area.

“It’d been a long time since the teenagers had been challenged,” Mr Mitchell said.