Online: Humbug

National bikies laws essential - police

  • Finny
    Finny
    16 years ago

    Tuesday, April 14, 2009 » 03:21am


     
    Queensland's police commissioner wants nationwide anti-bikie laws introduced.

    Queensland's police commissioner wants nationwide anti-bikie laws introduced.

     

     

     

     

    [script removed] // [script removed]

    Queensland's police commissioner wants nationwide anti-bikie laws introduced, despite a civil liberties body saying that Australia is heading for a disaster.

    The federal attorney-general and his counterparts from each state and territory will meet in Canberra this week to discuss the introduction of nationwide anti-bikie laws.

    Queensland Police commissioner Bob Atkinson says he supports the move, arguing motorcycle gangs posed a direct threat to the community.

    But Australian Council for Civil Liberties (ACCL) president Terry O'Gorman says governments are acting with undue speed to adopt a uniform law in response to an incident last month at Sydney Airport in which a man was killed.

    'There's no reason to hurry these laws through. There hasn't been a threat for bikies to take over all of society,' he said.

    'Federal and state Labor politicians are with effortless ease about to import draconian anti-terror legislation into mainstream criminal law,' he said.

    'Leaving the framing of anti-biker laws involving serious interference with fundamental civil liberties such as freedom of association to law enforcement agencies and bureaucrats will be a disaster for civil liberties in this country,' Mr O'Gorman said.

    Instead, the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General (SCAG) should refer the concept to the independent Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) to drive the process, he said.

    Mr O'Gorman said this would allow the ALRC to take an evidence- and research-based approach to the concept, something he believes was absent when NSW Premier Nathan Rees pushed state anti-bikie laws through parliament at the beginning of April.

    The civil liberties advocate also criticised Queensland Premier Anna Bligh's approach.

    'By the end of her first post-election cabinet meeting she said it was too urgent to wait for SCAG and Queensland had to pass its own laws quickly,' Mr O'Gorman said.

    Mr O'Gorman said law and order was the only area of public policy where new laws were urgently introduced without evidence being independently gathered and researched.

    He said there were well-established precedents for the ALRC to conduct thorough research before increasing police powers across Australia.

    However, Queensland police chief Atkinson said he would back any action that effectively stopped outlaw motorcycle gangs' criminal activities.

    'I would be supporting anything that would be dismantling them and that would help stop their activity,' Mr Atkinson said, noting they engaged in prostitution, as well as the amphetamine drug trade.

    'The tactics and methods used by bikie gangs are brutal and ruthless.

    'The premier has already indicated that Queensland will look at the introduction of this legislation, and currently police together with representatives of the justice department at the premier's direction are preparing draft legislation for the cabinet to consider.'

  • twincam88b
    twincam88b
    16 years ago
    Just listened to an interview on ABC local radio. They were talking to a bloke from Mosourri (USA) a Detective Steve Cook from the Widwest OMG Investigators Association. They asked him his opinion on the laws they are trying to introduce accross all states of Australia. He basically said that in theory it's a great idea, but it will only drive the patch clubs underground, make them more clandestine. They will have no identification when they stop wearing their t Shirts, belt buckles, jackets etc. In other words the authorities won't know who they are or where they are, but they (the bikies) will still know where their opposition (cops) are.
    He basically said the only thing that works in combatting the problem is to have community involvement. Make it where the bikies can't be comfortable anywhere in the community. To have this of course the general public needs to be confident that the police can protect them if they act to oppose their presence in the community.....(can't see that happening here) I think that about covers all the issues in the interview. Wish I could write short hand.

    Atkinson phoned in (off air) to clarify a point, that wearing patch colours are not banned in this state.

    Why would you wear your colours unless you want to attract attention to yourself. We have already seen one club in Sydney telling the members not to wear colours.
  • jacks
    jacks
    16 years ago
    This matter is getting extremely serious where privileged politicians are dictating who a free person (you and I) can converse with, it is preposterous. I, with friends have been to a number of Patch club functions and had a great time, if there is corruption? well there is corruption too within the Police force!!, it was Kahill Gibran who wrote centuries ago "That we delight in making laws, but we delight more in breaking them", This is totally unjust and cannot prevail, the sensible countries of the world must be chuckling at us and the departed that fought and died for the freedom we now take for granted, well who knows.....if this comes to pass, we are no longer the proud and lucky country.....shame Labor politicians you are now bankrupting our country morally as well as phisically............John
  • Hoodaman
    Hoodaman
    16 years ago
    I can email the complete NSW Criminal Organisations Control Bill 2009 to any one who wants it......PM me if interested ...
  • 08custom
    08custom
    16 years ago

    Good idea hoody I can see more than a few riders being bluffed with all this shit, at least they can have a bit of knowledge on their side