Numbers reveal scope of Victoria’s crime disaster; Lots of of gang members below police monitoring
Hundreds of gang members are being monitored across Victoria as new data reveals the scope of the state’s crime problem.
The numbers show 644 people are on the police watch list, with 280 of them being deemed as of most interest.
The most problematic of that group have committed multiple offenses, with 3000 charges among them.
Among youth criminals, just 11 per cent are remanded in custody, meaning nearly nine in every 10 receive bail.
There are 84 young people of interest right now, along with 42 in youth justice centres.
Police say they are focused on breaking criminal cycles, trying to turn youth criminals not yet fully embedded in the gangs toward the straight and narrow.
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It comes as states squabble over the bid to lift the minimum criminal age to 14.
There are fresh calls for national consistency on the issue.
New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania have the minimum age currently set to 10.
The Northern Territory is set to increase it to 12 from next year, while the Australian Capital Territory hopes to lift it to 14 by 2027.
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