By Aneeka Simonis
STREET gangs including Apex may not have got so out of control if police had access to a database enabling them to track their earliest crimes, according to a federal politician.
La Trobe MP Jason Wood is calling for a national gangs database to track the movements of street gangs across the country, ranking each by the level of violence.
The former police officer said access to such a database might have enabled police to intervene earlier to stop the growth of the Apex gang.
The gang has now reportedly blown out to have recruited more than 600 members and has now made links with notoriously violent outlaw motorcycle gangs (OMCGs).
Mr Wood said the database would track the location and nature of each gang offence and share it between different policing units who might not have the resources to collaborate and analyse the crime trend data themselves.
“It’s a big failing what happened with the Apex gang. They weren’t picked up soon enough and now they are growing more and more violent,” he said.
“If police had a gang database, police would be able to keep information on each offence committed by each gang (in different areas). As the gang begins committing more crimes or become more violent, it would raise a red flag.
“Then they could assign a taskforce to work on the gang before it gets to the stage it is now.
“But now, Apex are taking over other gangs and attracting more youths. They have a reputation, and copycats too.”
Asked where he thinks Apex would rank on the database, he suggested they would be high due to the widespread fear they have caused in the south-east and wider community.
Mr Wood earlier proposed the National Anti-Gang Squad be deployed to Victoria to hone in on youth offenders following skyrocketing rates of home invasion and carjacking crimes.
Though the Commonwealth Government recently pumped an additional $3 million into the Victorian branch of the squad, it will not focus on youth gang offences.
A spokesperson from Minister for Crime Michael Keenan’s office said youth crime was a state issue.
Police stations across the state are awaiting deployment of additional frontline members due to be rolled out from the beginning of next year. Pakenham station has made applications for additional members.
The Coalition proposed to introduce a gang database as part of a re-election policy in 2010, committing $33 million to the rollout over four years.
