Recent heated debate about crime in Melbourne has zeroed in on the city's African-Australian youth. But as Trevor Marshallsea writes, many believe their role has been unfairly exaggerated, with allegations officials are caught up in racist mischief-making.
Melbourne is a place of stunning architecture, celebrated laneways and tree-lined boulevards, of major cultural and sporting events. For a record seven straight years, it's been ranked the world's most liveable city by the Economist Intelligence Unit. Its four million inhabitants, according to the EIU survey, enjoy top-level healthcare, infrastructure and education. So why, then, would Australia's Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton this month say Melburnians were "scared to go out at restaurants" for fear of violence? And why would his conservative ally, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, voice his concerns about personal security for people in Victoria state's capital? For many months, and particularly in recent weeks, this reputedly serene city has witnessed sporadic eruptions of so-called gang violence involving youths. Many of those involved have been Australians of African descent.
Police last week announced the establishment of a taskforce involving senior members of the African-Australian community to tackle youth crime. But this has led others to allege cynical, racist, mischief-making, saying the issue has been sensationalised by right-wing media, politicians and white nationalist groups. All of this has played out amid intense debate about what "gangs" are, and police insistence that crime in Melbourne is, in fact, falling. How the debate has arrived here
The saga traces back to January 2015, when a group calling itself the "Apex gang" - whose members, many of African origin, had been linked to carjackings, assaults and burglaries - drew police attention after a fight with another group.
In March 2016, police used pepper spray to dispel a large group of men and boys of African appearance who had gathered in the city's centre. A year later, police made 53 arrests after a larger brawl. Authorities moved to quell gang fears by declaring Apex was no longer an active group.
source: www.bbc.com
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