Recent Spike In Violence In Melbourne

[eMsta]

So after reading this article, I asked myself the following questions:

1) Do we need more police present at night?

2) Is it because society has learnt to only have fun with alcohol and drugs, that this is happening?

3) Are our laws to lenient?

4) Does the community need more entertainment provided on a regular basis, such as concerts etc, to stop the violence in the city?

so what are peoples opinion on this?

Pack mentality

John Silvester

July 17, 2009

Street violence is more predatory and less restrained than ever, but there are more questions than answers to explain why.

THE young man is in a hurry. He wants to get to the ATM to withdraw some cash before catching up with his mates for a night of clubbing.

He moves quickly past a group of maybe 10 other young men and as he crosses the road he is unsure if the hard-edged comment from behind is directed at him.

He feels the presence of someone gaining on him. "Got the time, mate?" he hears. He turns as the stranger unleashes a roundhouse right. But the young man, an 18-year old who works out regularly at a boxing gym, steps back in defence as he has been trained. The punch misses his jaw and harmlessly brushes his shoulder.

Instinctively he cocks his own right. The stranger is open, for the moment defenceless, but the young man chooses flight over fight. There are no winners in street fights.

He runs to the club and stands between two bouncers for protection. The stranger runs past, rolls his eyes in frustration as there are too many witnesses to finish the job. The bouncers ask the 18-year-old why he is standing there. He tells them a gang want to bash him. Their response is direct and unequivocal. "F--- off, it's not our problem."

Nine of the pack run past, on the hunt. The young man hides in the queue that moves too fast. Soon he is back at the front. "We told you you're not welcome," one of the bouncers says. He heads off, but the danger is gone. The gang will find someone else to pick off. There is no report to police, no follow-up and the near-miss is not recorded as a crime statistic.

Welcome to Melbourne, one of the world's most liveable cities. The graphic security video from a Prahran fast-food outlet of the vicious assault of Luke Adams, 19, early last Monday morning is the latest reminder of life on the city's streets. Vicious, often unprovoked attacks with horrendous consequences are no longer a rarity.

Days earlier Cain Anthony Aguiar, a Canadian who had been in Australia for less than a month, is bashed outside a Yarraville pub. He dies from his injuries and three men are charged with his murder.

In the Magistrates Court a teenager, Aaron James Toal, pleads guilty to manslaughter. He and his mates planned to king hit a passing student on a $10 dare. "The boys had been looking for someone to scare all night," a girl in the group would tell police.

The student, Yuxiong Han, works nights as a waiter. He sensed the danger and walked quickly away. One of his aspiring assailants caught up: "I took a swing but missed. The guy ran on the road and then got hit by the car."

Yuxiong Han came to Australia in March 2008 to become a qualified automotive engineer. It took him 11 days to die after he was the random victim of a group of boys looking for someone to scare.

The uniformed sergeant has the look of an old-fashioned copper. At 191 centimetres and 120 kilograms he is an imposing figure, armed with a gun, handcuffs, a baton and capsicum spray. The last backward step he took was during his bridal waltz many years earlier.

There is tension in the city nightclub when he walks in so he tries some traditional intimidation.

"I walked up to one. He was as tall as me, but thin as a twig. I put the game face on to frighten the hell out of him. He just stared through me. He didn't care at all."

Despite a strong police presence, that confrontation ended with a running battle in Bourke, Elizabeth and Lonsdale streets with many injuries and as many arrests.

At a recent squad reunion in Melbourne, a group of police with more than 200 years of street work between them agree that they have never known Melbourne to be so violent — and they don't know why it has changed so quickly.

One suggests the trend has altered from young people popping party pills and drinking water to mixing amphetamine-based drugs, which heighten aggression, with large amounts of alcohol, which limit inhibitions.

Police use of capsicum aerosols has jumped massively in the past decade as they battle to deal with the increase in violence. In 2007, police used spray and foam 2623 times. Usage jumped from three times a week to seven times a day.

Deputy Commissioner Kieran Walshe told The Age: "I think that it is clear that young people from 16 to 25 seem to have a diminished respect for authority, not just police.

"We try to talk to calm them down, but if there is a risk of a violent confrontation it is entirely appropriate for our people to use the spray to avoid injuries."

Police now regularly sit near out-of-control parties in the suburbs and wait to pick off troublemakers as they leave. While previously the sight of a few blue uniforms at a party or club would instantly curtail excesses, police now say their presence can inflame problems with drunken young men prepared to take on the law.

Police have announced they will form a 150-strong mobile squad to reinforce hot spots around the state, but the truth is there will never be enough police to stamp out antisocial and violent cultural landslides. Chief Commissioner Simon Overland says it is simplistic and naive to believe police can be the penicillin for society's disease: "We are not the answer."

Recently he went out on the late-night beat in the city. In full uniform and in company with other police, three fights erupted in front of him. Visible police presence alone is not enough. "The public can't opt out of this. This is a community problem. There has been a clear deterioration in public standards," he told The Age.

"Our experienced people are saying that in the past one to two years something has altered drastically and we are struggling to understand why it is happening.

"They are our kids. They take their lead from us. Our role is to set boundaries and maintain them.

"It is not just about alcohol, or drugs or young people. It is about a series of complex social issues that we have to understand in order to deal with them. This appears to be happening around the globe and no one has yet found the answer."

While the relaxation of local liquor laws was designed to make Melbourne a European-style, 24-hour city, the side effect has been an increase in violence.

In Britain a similar relaxation of alcohol restrictions has resulted in a massive spike in crimes committed between 2am and 5am.

Between 2001 and 2007 nearly 50 people bashed in Melbourne have died from their injuries and more than 700 suffered long-term, and in many cases irreversible, injuries.

ONE was James Macready-Bryan, a popular Monash law student, who was bashed in the city on October 13, 2006. He suffered a major brain injury that has left him in a twilight zone. He will never recover.

His friends started Step Back and Think, a group designed to show young people that fighting is never the answer. The group now has thousands of members, but still the violence continues.

Neurosurgeon Professor Andrew Kaye says: "We have a really serious problem. The viciousness of these attacks is really frightening."

He sees new assault victims admitted with significant brain injuries at least twice a week and patients with less serious damage daily. But he says even the so-called less serious assaults can leave the victims with long-term and often permanent disabilities.

According to Professor Kaye, the assaults are not just alcohol-related. "We see people who have been attacked with clubs, knives and screwdrivers or repeatedly kicked until they are unconscious. This is a huge issue."

Naomi Oakley spent 12 years as a street police officer before setting up U-Nome Security — a company that specialises in running secure parties for teenagers and young adults.

Two weeks ago a teenager at a function in the private-school belt threatened to stab her with a syringe. One of her staff was told her throat would be cut "from ear to ear" and another was punched in the face.

She says there has been an obvious increase in aggressive behaviour and parents need to take more responsibility.

"I would say that less than 10 per cent of parents bother to make checks about a party when they drop their kids off," she says.

Oakley says that there are large groups of teenagers who have competitions on how many parties they can crash, relying on information from internet sites such as Facebook and MySpace, and text messages.

She is now introducing programs targeting schools and sporting clubs to explain to parents and teenagers about proactive measures that should be taken to protect functions from spinning out of control.

Senior police are increasingly frustrated at the failure of the nightclub industry to police itself.

They say they are forced to clean up the mess that is generated by too many venues that are too large, that encourage binge drinking and that take too many short-cuts.

A few weeks ago, a middle-aged man returning to his office after a late business appointment encountered an unwelcome sight in King Street.

Unabashed, a man stood casually urinating in the gutter as cars and pedestrians passed by. There was not a police officer in sight.

Two bouncers standing at the door of a nightclub metres away gazed into the middle distance. They did nothing.

It was not their problem.

But it is ours.

[Birds]

5. All of the above.

You summed it up nicely

[R31Nismoid]

Tougher penalties - Corporal punishment.

You get convicted of bashing someone - 10 serious flogs from a night stick and you'll see these thugs think twice about even saying a word and it'll also get some respect back for the cops on the bear.

Slaps on the writs from courts, fines, suspended sentences do nothing - tough love - im all for it.

I also concur with bouncers just standing and watching. The Gov't and cops have made them such big targets as soon as they even lift their hand with serious fines and loss of their licenses i don't blame them for standing by when its their job they could loose at the end of the day. The Gov't is holistically to blame - as usual.

[GT-R 32]

Dont think puttin more cops out there would be the effective option. i agree with r31nismoid penalties are way to light on criminals that commit assualts.

its just not safe any more even going out to have a good night out with friends. I reckon its the uneducated younger generation of people seeing the law as a joke.

but on other news those Sick people who cut the puppies ear and tail off really needa go to a mental hospital.. disgusts me to think som1 could hurt a puppy or anything helpless

[NickR33]

when everyone was at raves til the sun came up eating pills and hugging there was hardly any violence! lol

making everyone stand on the street to smoke was a bad idea too... many club/bar precincts look like street festivals these days

also parents have gotten soft... I was too afraid of my old man to really get up to serious trouble

[KezR33]

Last Sunday morning my mate was sitting around minding his own business as he waited for a tram at about 3pm when two guys approached him. Funnily enough they too began with "What's the time?", before grabbing him as he looked down at his phone.

My mate managed to break their grip and flee, but as he broke away he noticed one had pulled out a serrated knife.

Later that day we went in together to the police station to report it. The cop had only been on the job since 2007 and he was telling us how rapidly Melbourne was turning to shit. Heaps and heaps more violence, more beggars, etc.

[GT-R 32]

lucky man. my area has a bit of a neighbourhood watch out type system happening, with locals and friends, atleast gives me and most people a relief that if my grandma goes for a walk someone most likely would be around.

spotted a young skummy guy driving a supra beep and verbally abuse an old man crossing the road of princess hwy because he was in a rush to get somewhere, luckily a few car full of fairly built guys jumped out to help the elder man across the road. but alot of yungy's out there just dont have any respect for people.

[Roy]

So after reading this article, I asked myself the following questions:

1) Do we need more police present at night?

2) Is it because society has learnt to only have fun with alcohol and drugs, that this is happening?

3) Are our laws to lenient?

4) Does the community need more entertainment provided on a regular basis, such as concerts etc, to stop the violence in the city?

so what are peoples opinion on this?

Speaking personally?

1) I dont need police to tell me that i am makign an ass out of myself and about to get into trouble.

2) With booz in my belly i dont want to hurt anyone

3) Laws dont bother me, nor do their possible sentences....dont do the crime cause i cant do the time. Actually not interested in doing the crime

4) community? ...there is more things then ever to keep people entertained

Look around your circle of friends and think "what is the common theme"? I know my mates are not into this sort of thing, never have been and never will.

I simply think its a matter of these days parents are generally pretty shitty and the pace of life leaves no time for parenting...with mortgages/ work and lifes pressures.

My Old Man never hit me, rarely raised hsi voice at me....all it took was that look...and i knew i had disappointed the most important person in my life. So i guess that means role models. When a kids parents arent his/her role models then things can perhaps go pear shaped

[Wyseman]

Harsher penalties in the only answer.

Much harsher penalties for sports hero / celebrity offences. You are involved in a bashing or a drink / drug related incident, you don't play football again... ever. Role models that send good messages, not the weak-arsed "i'm an addict i need help" messages we get from a lot of footballers now.. There should be 1 chance, don't blow it attitudes from clubs.

For average people.. you get involved in a street fight, you get charged, big fine and you lose the right to drink. If you can't handle your booze, society is better off if you don't drink at all..

People act this way because they think there are no consequences. And 9 out of 10 times they're right.

[Jack-]

I and many others I know, blame the weak pussy b*tches of society, commonly known as judges.

[bombtrack]

It's really going to be a balancing act between increasing penalties, police presence and surveillance, and protecting our civil liberties. No one wants to live in a police state under the constant watchful eye of big brother but we damn sure don't want to live in violent chaos either.

It's going to be interesting to see which way it goes.

[adznight]

I kind of agree with Troy, it's more about the types of people and their attitudes.

It's easy to say harsher penalties but problem is when people get locked up and thrown into the system quite often they’ll come out worse if not properly rehabilitated.

I think the only answer is a combination of better education about violent and its effects, stronger police presence, and harsher penalties combined.

It's sad to think in a place when I used to feel so safe at night and think how lucky I was I didn't live in a place like the US is slowly turning into the same monster.

[R31Nismoid]

Oh rubbish Adz - i went to school with these types of idiots.

They simply cannot be educated i tell you that right now.

These people just think they are hero's and don't have to answer to anyone, out to prove something (to who or what they don't even know)

The only way is to make these spastics realise this city isn't a joke anymore, because that is how they are treating it... being it's about as soft as a pillow at the moment.

Police need to basically get tough, the courts won't because they judges are a bunch of tossbags in this state.

Night stick first, questions later. The message will take a while, the mothers groups will sook about their 'poor little son', but fk it - enough is enough.

BRING BACK THE LASHING

[eMsta]

I have to agree with ash here. But I also remember in my younger days, my dad was very strict (still is) - but he taught me right and wrong. The school I went to - we used to get caned if we spoke or disrupted the class, and being in the middle east - sometimes we were told to stay out in the 40 degree heat for about 30 - 45 mins. Punishment enough to set us straight.

The cops really do need to toughen up. Police brutality? If its done without a reason, sure it is - but based on whats happened the last few weeks - a bit of brutality for those shitheads who attack for no reason, would really send the message across. Might be that the state will be under the watchful eye of the cops - but this is what melbourne needs right now.

honestly - i dont even bother going to the city anymore - seeing people chucking up all over hte joint, urinating in alleys, druggies all over hte place - nup , i rather just stick around my area for a quiet one. The city really does need to get a good clean up.

Perhaps it is a mixture of things - tough schooling and tough cops.

Oh rubbish Adz - i went to school with these types of idiots.

They simply cannot be educated i tell you that right now.

These people just think they are hero's and don't have to answer to anyone, out to prove something (to who or what they don't even know)

The only way is to make these spastics realise this city isn't a joke anymore, because that is how they are treating it... being it's about as soft as a pillow at the moment.

Police need to basically get tough, the courts won't because they judges are a bunch of tossbags in this state.

Night stick first, questions later. The message will take a while, the mothers groups will sook about their 'poor little son', but fk it - enough is enough.

BRING BACK THE LASHING

[adis]

I work some weekends as a bouncer at a popular club. I don't have the answers to these problems but in my opinion, i think we should have 0 alcohol tolerance on streets in the city, meaning, if you are intoxicated, you are locked up over night. This would only work if we have more strict police on streets which is another problem that we have.

[tets]

maybe the police should worry less about "hoons" and "random checks" and worry about people getting abused, bashed and killed instead.

[adis]

I also concur with bouncers just standing and watching. The Gov't and cops have made them such big targets as soon as they even lift their hand with serious fines and loss of their licenses i don't blame them for standing by when its their job they could loose at the end of the day. The Gov't is holistically to blame - as usual.

Spot on.

1- You don't get paid to protect the city, that's what the police is there for.

2- As a bouncer, if you get into anything serious, you are risking your license.

[NickR33]

I think we should take Amsterdam's lead... stoned people don't bash each other... they just eat chips and giggle;)

let's not get too carried away and start comparing ourselves to the US... imagine all these heroes going around punching people had handguns... BIG difference

I was watching a doco a few months back that was dealing in self defence etc... a large part of it was teaching people how to walk/carry themselves so that they don't look like a victim or easy target... I'm not saying its the answer (I agree with Ash on what should be done... scary I know lol) but food for thought

EVERY city has its violent areas to be avoided at certain times... being a local you just know what to avoid... I don't go to King St, never have... too many heroes and its not my scene... I lived in Prahran for 3 years and never went up beyond High St on a Fri/Sat night... the further you went towards Toorak Rd the higher the hero percentage... just avoid the areas that attract the d!ckheads

[adis]

Most of our problems are here: KING ST and CHAPEL ST. How hard is that to manage... 20 fit police MEN, sorry to be sexist, fit men, to patrol and lock up trouble makers/ and intoxicated people, lock em up over night. That would solve half of your problem IMO.

[racin8]

Zero tollerence .....is the only way.....it worked in New York it will work here...... the softly softly approach adopted by the police is not working and now Brumby and Overland come out and say the community needs to take a stand...well I am sorry but the community have been complaining to the government about this for three years and they do nothing bring back the old school policing I saykeep it .... very hard but fair.

.... BUt in the end it all rests with the courts ..the sentencing is far to lenient....... Just wait and see what happens to the blokes that killed the Canadian in Footscray ( I say killed because IMO even though he died weeks later ..they killed him ) again wait and see what happpens to the blokes that bashed the guy in hungry jacks ....my bet NOTHING ....suspended sentences and community based orders what a F...ing joke...... and the stupid thing is if you drive 5 km overthe limit you are treated worse bythe police than these thugs....... this state is f..ked up. Already from reading the court transcripts I can see the defence ( for the hungry jacks guys ) are already argueing that their client has had a tough childhood and that his father was swept off rocks when he was 9 years old...as if in someway justifying the actions.....this is the type of crap that the court gives heavy weight to and it is bullsh..t. Plenty of people have tough upbringings but they can still decern right from wrong. these thugs ...They are scum .....they are only tough when they have a belly full of booze and their mates around them..... but cut one from the pack and confront them and they go to water f..ing soft c0cks. In the good old days two blokes could have an arguement in a pub or club maybe go outside and sort it out one on one,toe to toe now days all their mates have to join in a grab weapons etc.... there is no honour or toughness in stabbing a bloke or punching a bloke whilst he is being restrained.

sorry for the rant..