Victorian police have conceded Melbourne has a problem with African street gangs, after earlier insisting there were no gangs in the city, as the State Government rejects criticism it has dropped the ball on the problem.
Police Minister Lisa Neville on Tuesday defended the Government’s handling of youth crime after the Federal Government on Monday said “African gang crime” was out of control in Melbourne because of lenient state policies.
The issue has become a priority for both major parties after a series of recent headline-grabbing crimes blamed on groups of young African men, including the trashing of an Airbnb property in Werribee, vandalism in Tarneit and a night of violence at St Kilda Beach involving dozens of youths.
Just days after Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Andrew Crisp said he did “not accept for a minute that we do have gangs”, Acting Chief Commissioner Shane Patton said there were African street gangs in Melbourne.
“We have for a significant period of time said that there is an issue with overrepresentation by African youth in serious and violent offending as well as public disorder issues,” Acting Commissioner Patton said.
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