Victoria’s Chief Police Commissioner is calling for an urgent re-think on youth crime laws in the state, saying we have “a significant issue”.
In an exclusive sit-down interview with 7NEWS, Shane Patton said children as young as 10 were being recruited by gangs, committing crimes and then walking free just hours later.
“We have a significant issue with child offending at the moment,” he told 7NEWS.
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“It’s that really high-end significant offending that is a concern to us. Child crime between 10 to 17.
“We already see outlaw motorcycle gangs and Middle Eastern crime groups who are recruiting young people and paying them a small amount of money.”
In January, Dr Ashley Gordon died during an alleged home invasion in Doncaster, with two 16-year-olds accused of his fatal stabbing. Credit: 7NEWS
Patton does not support Victorian government plans to raise the age of criminality to 14.
Currently in Victoria, children as young as 10 can be charged and jailed, but the government plans to raise it to 12 in 2024 and then to 14 by 2027.
“There is a proposal as I understand it, to raise it to 12 and 13 and that would be really problematic for us,” Patton said.
“Because of the seriousness of the offending and the levels of offending that we see with 12 and 13-year-olds involved in some really significant crimes, that’s not something I would support.”
In January, Dr Ashley Gordon was killed during an alleged home invasion in Doncaster and two 16-year-olds are accused of his stabbing death.
Victoria’s Chief Commissioner Shane Patton. Credit: 7NEWS
Then later in the same month, two cyclists were seriously injured after being allegedly mowed down by a 14-year-old who posted footage of the incident online.
Patton said the frustrations were being felt by police officers, who arrested young offenders only to watch as they were then granted bail.
“Then they do it again and they have to charge them again. Of course members get frustrated,” he said.
But he said police would not give up.
“We target them, we know who these kids are. We have a lot of intelligence on them and we will continue to target them,” he said.
“Anything that has the potential to impact community safety is obviously concerning to me because that’s my job, to keep the community safe.”
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