Jason Wood (La Trobe, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Public Security and Policing) Share this | Hansard source

Denzel Washington earned an Oscar for his portrayal of corrupt LAPD Detective Alonzo Harris in the film Training Day. For those unfamiliar with the plot, it centres on his attempts to trap rookie detective Jake Hoyt, played by Ethan Hawke, into joining his team of corrupt cops—for whom murder and drug trafficking are day-to-day business. One of the film’s most compelling scenes is Jake’s introduction to Palmwood Drive in Los Angeles, known to police affectionately as ‘The Jungle’. Once regarded as America’s most dangerous street, it is home to the notorious gang the Black P Stones.

Palmwood Drive is no longer regarded as America’s most dangerous street. The fight to win back control of The Jungle was not won by chance but was achieved through the leadership of Sheriff Lee Baca of the Los Angeles County Police Department, who established the CalGang database, which has proven so effective that it is now used by all law enforcement authorities across America. CalGang, short for ‘California Gangs’, connects vital information for law enforcement authorities, such as gang membership and identification details, and also alerts police when people have been issued with anti-association orders. These orders give police the authority to ban people from associating with gang member, something that the Victorian state Labor government will not introduce. Instead, they instruct the Victorian Police to welcome outlaw motorcycle gangs into Victoria by stopping traffic for their bikie runs. What a disgrace.

Using information from the CalGang database, the FBI teamed up with the LAPD Gang Enforcement Detail to undertake Operation Cold Stone. The team conducted a 14-month investigation resulting in 30 Black P Stone gang members being jailed. The success of the operation was due to the cooperation between the FBI and the LAPD. It was a fantastic operation. The combination of legislative powers, resources and shared experience enabled them to win back the streets.

At a federal level, the Howard government established the Australian Crime Commission, the ACC, in 2002. Through the ACC, state and federal police work together to investigate serious and organised crime, similar to the model which has worked so effectively in the United States. However, since coming to power, Labor has cut the funding to the ACC, reducing staff by 22 per cent. The Prime Minister has also stopped paying the bills for the majority of seconded investigators from the states, territories and AFP. Working together, they would have been the weapon of choice against violent gangs in Australia. This is a disgrace and slap in the face for law enforcement and the public they protect.

The Howard government also established the national law enforcement database, CrimTrac, in 2002, which is used to share information amongst all the state and territory police forces. CrimTrac is the ideal database to store information on any violent gangs, including OMCGs, racially motivated gangs targeting international students and prison gangs, to name a few. The murder of underworld figure Carl Williams gives us some insight into the violent nature of prison gangs. Prisons are the breeding ground for gang activity. In the hostile prison environment many inmates join gangs for protection. Prison gangs are the major recruiters for extremists, such as the terrorist shoe bomber Richard Reid, who converted to Islamic extremism during his incarceration at Blundeston Prison in 1996.

If we hope to win back our streets it is time to get tough on gangs. It is time for the Prime Minister to take up the challenge. He was all talk after the fatal attack at Sydney airport in which two outlaw motorcycle gangs fought each other and one OMCG member was killed. When in Washington, Mr Rudd said that he would take firm action. He has not taken action at all. Mr Rudd has let down the people of Australia. He will not take the violent gangs on. He would rather have the violent gangs cause fear and intimidate the public.

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