We will make gang arrests, police insist

Victoria Police say they have a ‘pro-arrest policy’ but are struggling to identify offenders following a brawl in Melbourne.

Police setting up a mobile unit at Lonzo Park in Taylors Hill. Picture: David Geraghty

Victoria Police says it has a “pro-arrest policy” after it revealed its officers were struggling to identify offenders following a brawl involving up to 40 African-Australian youths in a northwest suburban park.

Police were out in force in Lonzo Park yesterday where two gangs of youths fought nearly three weeks ago over a girl, leaving neighbours terrified and told to lock their doors by police.

North West Metro Commander Tim Hansen said yesterday that they had not been able to identify anyone who had committed any crimes, including youths who threw rocks at a police car.

“We took a preventive ­approach in dispersing the crowd,” he said, “but what’s also clear from talking to the police commander was that had they ­observed any offences occurring, they had a pro-arrest policy.

“We weren’t in the position to identify the offenders on that night who were throwing rocks due to poor street lighting and the darkness of that night … we didn’t see who was committing those offences … we haven’t been able to identify anyone else at this stage.”

Neighbours, who did not wish to be identified, told The Aus­tralian yesterday they were dis­appointed police had not made any arrests weeks after the brawl.

“If you don’t punish them, they will just keep coming back here,” one neighbour with a small child said. “They haven’t been here since but we don’t go to the park any more. It’s deserted.”

In the wake of the brawls on August 9, Mr Hansen said there had been a tiered ­approach, with dispersion the short-term objective and arrests coming later.

The teen riot in Taylors Hill. Picture: 7 News

He clarified his position yesterday. “Certainly I used language where I said we had a tiered response and that doesn’t change,” he said.

“Our focus is dispersing the crowd but dispersing the crowds still includes, when offences occur in front of the police officers, to make arrests.

“I was probably a bit unclear when I spoke about that.”

It was also revealed yesterday that nearly 200 arrests had been made over 17 months, and 31 offenders were in custody, as a result of Operation Wayward, which monitors mainly African repeat youth offenders in the city’s west.

Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton had to defend the program last week after a violent home invasion saw a woman punched in the face in her home.

“It has been successful in reducing the offending. Overall those offending numbers have come down in that area,” he told 3AW radio on August 23. “We’re absolutely seeing the same offenders repeat offending, so we’ll absolutely nail them.”

Police said yesterday Operation Wayward was managing 79 at-risk youths and youths were being caught committing a range of offences including armed robbery, aggravated home invasion, robbery and affray.

“Police also run regular curfew checks to make sure people on our radar remain at home instead of (being) out causing trouble,” Mr Hansen said yesterday.