Plea to Turnbull: smash the gangs

Victorian federal cabinet ministers are urging the Prime Minister to intervene in the state’s youth crime crisis.

Rocks thrown at police at a party in Werribee. Picture: Nicole Garmston

Victorian federal cabinet ministers are urging the Prime Minister to intervene in the state’s youth crime crisis, expressing to him growing frustration over the ­Andrews government’s management of law and order following a spree of violent incidents involving African gangs.

UPDATE: PM blames Andrews for gang crime

At least a dozen Victorian-based federal MPs, including the cabinet ministers, have ­approached the Prime Minister in recent months to discuss what they believe has ­become “the No 1” issue affecting the state.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton, who has also been lobbied over the issue, weighed in yesterday, saying the crisis was ultimately a state “problem of (Premier) Daniel Andrews’ making”.

“NSW, Queensland and other states don’t have this problem,” he told The Australian. “Premier ­Andrews has lost control of law and order in Victoria and he needs to clean it up.”

The Victorian-based politicians, who are understood to have included Energy and Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg, Health Minister Greg Hunt, Revenue and Financial Services Minister Kelly O’Dwyer and ­Assistant Minister to the Treasurer Michael Sukkar, asked Mr Turnbull to investigate further ways in which the commonwealth could assist.

Proposals flagged include toughening immigration laws and funding a joint task force of Australia Federal Police and Victoria Police officers to tackle youth gang-related crime.

Revelations of the pleas — along with calls by federal Liberal MP and former police officer Jason Wood for funding for a squad of AFP officers to help deal with the crisis — come in the wake of numerous violent incidents across Melbourne in the lead-up to Christmas.

Rocks and metal poles were thrown at police who attended an out-of control house party held in Werribee two weeks ago. Terrified neighbours reported that up to 70 youths of African appearance, some thought to be linked to a gang known as Menace To ­Society, were involved in the riot that left a police officer injured.

Meanwhile, CCTV footage of a police officer allegedly being ­assaulted while attempting to ­arrest a shoplifter at the Highpoint Shopping Centre on Boxing Day sparked community outrage.

Mr Frydenberg said crime rates were of “deep concern” to all Victorians. The Kooyong MP confirmed that several discussions with the Prime Minister had taken place. “This has become the No 1 issue in Victoria,” he said.

“The rise of ethnic gangs, crimes against property, aggravated assaults and home invasions has put fear into the public like never before.

“Clearly more needs to be done and there needs to be zero tolerance for these crimes.”

While crime across the state has fallen slightly overall, several violent offences have continued to rise at an alarming rate. Aggravated residential burglaries ­jumped 11.1 per cent last year, while aggravated robbery rose 8.3 per cent amid a spate of mobile phones snatched on the street.

Adding further to the Andrews government’s woes is the perception that some within the Labor Party and law enforcement are ­unwilling to face up to the severity of the issue.

Official figures from Victoria’s Crime Statistics Agency reveal that men of Sudanese or South ­Sudanese origin were six times more likely to be arrested by police than anyone who was born in Australia.

As analysis by The Weekend Australian showed most of the 17 offenders of Sudanese, South ­Sudanese or Kenyan descent sentenced for violent crimes in the past year were given average or below-average sentences.

In one case, a man with 15 prior convictions was given a 188-day sentence and $100 fine for theft and affray after using a stolen knife to stab another man in a brawl.

The sentences — lashed by Victoria’s police union boss Wayne Gatt and Victims of Crime Commissioner Greg Davies — are ­expected to be used as ammunition by the state Liberal opposition, which has promised to introduce mandatory minimum sentencing if elected.

One federal cabinet minister, who also confirmed that the Victorian crime problem had been raised in cabinet meetings by Victorian MPs, said Mr Turnbull ­appeared to be receptive to their concerns and asked to be kept abreast of the issue.

A spokesman for Mr Turnbull declined to comment on whether he was considering further interventions but stressed that keeping Australians safe was a priority.

“The Prime Minister shares the concerns of his Victorian colleagues,” the spokesman said, pointing to previous funding that was allocated to enable the AFP to provide Victorian police access to its forensic and intelligence capability to help combat gang-related crime.

The AFP works closely with Victoria Police via the National Anti Gangs Squad.

In 2016 the Turnbull government provided a further $39 million to the squad, of which several million went to the Victorian strike team.

State Police Minister Lisa Neville yesterday defended the government’s record, saying anyone found guilty of a crime “regardless of their nationality” should expect “to feel the full force of the law”.

She said Victoria Police had referred 18 non-Australian citizens who committed crimes to the federal government for visa cancellation over the past year.