In short:
The ACT's chief police officer is publicly backing anti-consorting laws.
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officer → back → laws
The laws are in place in most other Australian jurisdictions, but Labor-led ACT governments have argued they conflict with the Human Rights Act.
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they → lead → Act
Police and experts argue now is the time to introduce the laws in the territory.
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time → argue → territory
ACT Chief Police Officer Scott Lee has no doubt about the damage outlaw bikie gangs are causing in Canberra.
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gangs → have → Canberra
"Outlaw motorcycle gangs exist for one reason, and that's in relation to organised crime"he said.
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that → exist → crime"he
While raw numbers in the Canberra region do not match those in Sydney and Melbourne, there has been a notable increase in the past few years.
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numbers → match → years
Deputy Commissioner Lee said there were currently five outlaw motorcycle gangs (OMCGs) in the ACT, with about 45 members and approximately 20 associates.
"So that number has grown, which is a concern for us," he said.
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he → say → us
ACT Policing is stepping up its fight against this growing threat in a bid to disrupt the gangs' criminal activities.
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Policing → step → activities
For decades the ACT had one established bikie gang that ruled the roost — the Rebels.
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that → have → roost
But since the early 2010s, most Rebels have "patched over" to other groups, including the Bandidos, the Hells Angels, the Finks, and the Comancheros.
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Rebels → patch → Bandidos
Several now have established "chapters" or bases in the ACT, rather than using Canberra solely as a transit corridor.
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Several → establish → corridor
Deputy Commissioner Lee thinks the primary reason is that Canberra is a growing city, and market.
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Canberra → think → ?
"Where you have those prosperous communities, they're attractive propositions for investment, but they're also attractive propositions for crime," he said.
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he → have → crime
Associate Professor Mark Lauchs has been researching OMCG activities in Australia for decades.
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Lauchs → research → decades
"They're increasing in Canberra, because it's much harder for them to operate elsewhere in the country," he said.
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he → increase → country
One measure Deputy Commissioner Lee advocates for is anti-consorting laws, which have been a controversial debate in the ACT.
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which → advocate → ACT
"We support that legislation," he said.
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he → support → legislation
"We've seen the benefits of it in other jurisdictions where it has an ability to disrupt associations, or certainly overt associations, and the ability for these people to gather."
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people → see → associations
Deputy Commissioner Lee emphasised that anti-consorting laws preventing outlaw motorcycle gangs from meeting in public were not a magical cure-all.
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laws → emphasise → public
"OMCGs continue to exist in every jurisdiction," he said.
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he → continue → jurisdiction
"But where you have those real overt showings of OMCGs, what we have with the national runs, it would disrupt that type of activity."
The ACT has repeatedly resisted introducing these laws, with previous Labor-led governments arguing they conflict with the ACT Human Rights Act.
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they → have → Act
Associate Professor Lauchs agreed that "good, strong, well-targeted" anti-consorting laws were needed, but he said it was reasonable the ACT had resisted until now.
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ACT → agree → ?
There are human rights issues there that have to be addressed," he said.
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he → be → ?
"However, being right is not enough in this case, because everybody else did it.
"
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everybody → do → it
So, you became the eventual inevitable victim of everybody else's laws."
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you → become → laws
Sergeant Mark Alexander leads the specialist ongoing Task Force Invidia, which investigates, infiltrates and disrupts the gangs.
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which → lead → gangs
He said the groups were "really sophisticated, and their operational security is quite a challenge for us to try and monitor".
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us → say → ?
"They are an undercurrent and a really strong presence in the ACT in illicit commodities,"he said.
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They → say → commodities,"he
Those commodities include the usual suspects — drugs, guns, weapons and extortion.
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commodities → include → suspects
Associate Professor Lauchs argued that the illicit drug trade was the big draw for outlaw gangs.
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trade → argue → gangs
No, but it's a sufficiently high usage rate that there's a marketplace," he said.
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he → be → ?
"And when there's a marketplace for cocaine, there's going to be a marketplace for bikies to be involved.
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bikies → be → cocaine
"
'Billions and billions'
This illicit economy is substantial; earlier this month, police arrested several ACT gang members alleged to have trafficked 70kg of cocaine with a street value of approximately $10 million.
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police → arrest → million
"When you extrapolate that out to the [national] illicit drug market, we're talking billions and billions of dollars in terms of the illicit commodities that are moved into our country," Deputy Commissioner Lee said.
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Lee → extrapolate → country
He explained the gangs had established transnational connections to overseas chapters in Europe, South America and other source regions.
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gangs → explain → Europe
Chapters are also constantly trying to recruit new members, particularly vulnerable young men seeking "status".
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Chapters → try → status
"They see outlaw motorcycle gangs as money and power," Sergeant Alexander said.
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Alexander → see → money
But police say except for OMCG top brass, most gang members take extreme risks for little reward.
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members → say → reward
"They are not making a lot of money.
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They → make → money
Sometimes they will struggle to pay the rent,"Sergeant Alexander said.
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Alexander → struggle → ?
…and 13 more, not listed.
The Aporia