- Published:
- Thursday 17 October 2024
New laws introduced by the Allan Labor Government to crack down on organised crime and bikie gangs have passed Parliament.
Under the Criminal Organisations Control Amendment Act 2024, new and improved laws will strengthen Victoria’s unlawful association scheme, introduce a new serious crime prevention order and prohibit the public display of gang colours.
Members of specified organised crime groups will also be banned from prescribed Government worksites – helping to further stamp out the rotten culture influenced by outlaw motorcycle gangs and other criminal organisations.
This will complement work being done by the Federal Government to stamp out the rotten culture that has been exposed in the construction industry.
The strengthened unlawful association scheme will give Victoria Police more power to stop criminals associating with each other and to discourage other people from joining them in a criminal network.
The threshold for issuing unlawful association notices will be lowered to allow police to issue them more easily and in a wider range of circumstances, with up to three years imprisonment for an order breach.
The Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission will have new responsibilities to monitor, oversee and report on the operation of the scheme.
A new Serious Crime Prevention Order (SCPO) scheme will also come into effect. This will allow the Chief Commissioner of Police to apply to a court to impose a broad range of conditions on someone who has participated in serious criminal activity or is likely to help another person who is engaging in serious criminal behaviour.
The SCPO scheme has been designed to restrict the activities of organised crime group leaders – an SCPO might include prohibiting that person from leaving Victoria or possessing firearms or certain amounts of cash.
Outlaw motorcycle gang members wear and display their colours, such as patches, logos or other insignia to represent their gang membership, intimidate others and to attract and recruit new members.
The new laws will ban the public display of the insignia of certain criminal groups, including wearing it on clothing or jewellery and displaying it on signs, flags or vehicles.
The new laws will come into effect next year and build upon the Confiscation Amendment (Unexplained Wealth) Act 2024, which is also about disrupting organised crime and making sure there's no pay day for crime bosses.
Quote attributable to Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes
“Organised crime and thuggish behaviour has no place in Victoria – we’re making that clear with some of the toughest laws in the country.”
Quote attributable to Minister for Police Anthony Carbines
“Organised crime groups and bikie gangs are on notice – we won’t stand for intimidation and neither will Victoria Police, who won’t hesitate to use these new laws to keep Victorians safe.”