New laws ban outlaw motorcycle gangs from public insignia displays

Outlaw motorcycle club members face heavy restrictions on the display of their insignia as new laws come into force.

Bandidos motorcycle gang members during a ride in Tasmania two years ago. New laws prevent five outlaw motorcycle gangs from displaying their insignia in public Picture: CHRIS KIDD

NEW laws cracking down on outlaw motorcycle gangs by banning colours and insignia are now in effect in Tasmania.

The move precedes an Outlaws Motorcycle Club memorial ride in Tasmania this Saturday, with riders expected to attend from interstate.

The laws target five outlawed gangs: Bandidos, Outlaws, The Devil’s Henchmen, Black Uhlans and Rebels Motorcycle Club.

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Police Minister Mark Shelton said the law was a new tool for police to use to keep the community safe from gangs “doing the wrong thing in the community”.

“From this point on, those outlawed motorcycle gangs will not be able to wear their colours in public or in fact display them in public,” Mr Shelton said.

“This is about keeping Tasmanians safe and making sure the processes that outlaw motorcycle gangs use to intimidate the community, will not be available are far as their insignia goes.”

Mr Shelton said the legislation brought Tasmania into line with mainland states and made sure Tasmania was not seen as a “safe haven” for outlawed gangs.

Those who break the new law will be slapped with a fine of an amount not yet disclosed and the fine will be increased for repeat offenders.

Scenes such as this are now banned in Tasmania after new laws came into effect. Picture: CHRIS KIDD

Tasmania Police Northern District Commander Brett Smith said there was a “bucket load” of research and evidence to suggest that gangs wearing colours, particularly in groups, created apprehension in the community.

“We don’t want our community to live in fear because of the behaviour of what these criminal gangs do,” he said.

“Outlaw motorcycle gangs, they commit crime, they assault people and they deal in drugs.

They have a culture of violence and they do not like police.”

Commander Smith said up to 100 Outlaws members could travel to Tasmania for a memorial ride on Saturday.

He said police would be conducting checks, have “contingencies” in place and be supported by officers from the AFP’s National Anti-Gang Squad.

Commander Smith said the relevant gangs had been contacted to “make sure they fully know what the law is”.

He said this weekend’s ride was an opportunity for the Outlaws motorcycle club to demonstrate “as they claim, that they are law-abiding citizens”.

“If they’re not, we will take quite affirmative action,” he said.

“We will seize items, we will charge people, we will arrest if we need to and we will put them before the court and the magistrate can determine what the outcome will be.”