Police warn unless laws toughen, Victoria could become bikie Switzerland The World TodayAustralia - Senior police are concerned that Victoria is becoming a bikie Switzerland because the state government has failed to heed requests to hand over sweeping new powers to law enforcement. The warning comes as one of the countrys fastest-growing outlaw motorcycle clubs, the Mongols, staged a run into Melbourne on Saturday that police sources complain they were powerless to stop. Police are pulling their hair out, a high-ranking source told Fairfax Media. It is understood that senior police have been asking the Napthine government for more than a year to introduce new laws that would require licences and fit and proper tests for the heavy haulage and debt collection industries, which are increasingly being targeted for bikie infiltration. Police have also been asking the government to consider implementing Queensland-style anti-association laws that could prevent large numbers of bikies congregating in runs like the Mongols did on the weekend. [We] are concerned that without these laws Victoria is becoming a bikie Switzerland compared to Queensland and New South Wales, the source said. On Friday, the High Court rejected a challenge to Queenslands anti-association measures – known as the Vicious Lawless Association Disestablishment laws – brought by the United Motorcycle Council. Police Association secretary Ron Iddles said the union backed a police push for stronger laws against motorcycle gangs. He said failing to follow Queenslands legislation ran the risk of a causing a displacement effect in which violent bikie members could relocate to Victoria and NSW from the northern state. Law enforcement agencies have been closely monitoring national bikie movements amid concerns of relocation out of Queensland. Victorian Attorney-General Robert Clark did not specifically comment on requests for greater police powers, but has previously pledged to bring in new laws clamping down on rogue debt collectors if the Coalition wins the November 29 election. The government has also asked the Victorian Law Reform Commission to report on how to better prevent organised criminals infiltrating other industries, he said. Mr Clark left the door open to introducing Queensland-style laws, saying a re-elected Napthine government would continue to monitor legislation in other jurisdictions including Queensland to determine whether Victoria should adopt further measures. He said bikies were not above the law and the states police force enjoyed strong powers introduced by the Coalition to act against them. The Coalition introduced Victorias first laws to tackle criminal bikie gangs after the former Labor government refused to act and repeatedly denied that bikie gangs were a problem, he said. Shadow attorney-general Martin Pakula claimed the Napthine government had talked tough but failed to act when it came to outlaw motorcycle clubs. Labor will examine the possibility of licensing laws for debt collection and heavy haulage but believes strongly that there needs to be a national approach and we will raise this through the appropriate national channels, he said. Detective Senior Sergeant Iddles criticised both major parties on their law-and-order platforms ahead of the election for their to failure to commit to increasing police numbers on the beat. You can postal-vote starting from [Monday] and neither side of politics has made a commitment to police numbers, he said. theage.au
Posted on: Mon, 12 Jan 2015 00:58:19 +0000