Australia, Bikies laughing at 'War On Bikies'

OFF THE WIRE
HINCH: Here we go again. Our coppers are going to get tough on the bikie gangs.

The Page One headline in the Herald Sun today says: ‘War on Bikies. Police get powers to smash outlaw fortresses’. Reportedly tough new anti-bikie laws, and remember we only weeks away from an election, will give police the power to tear down fortified clubhouses. They’ll be able to attack the Hells Angels, the Bandidos, the Comancheros and the Rebels.

Sounds good in theory. They’d be better off if they stopped treating bikie gangs with kid gloves on the road. Stopped giving them, Police escorts where, under instructions left over from Mrs Doubtfire’s touchy feely regime, they don’t even ping them for speeding.

I’ll give you a good example of the real world of cops and bikies and the way dedicated coppers are being frustrated by the brass.

Coincidentally, this information came to me overnight.

Recently, in the Frankston Magistrates Court, a member of the Bros Motorcycle Club was convicted of ‘failing to obey an instruction of a member of the police force’. A member from Rosebud Traffic Management Unit attempted to intercept a motorcycle travelling with a group of bikies on the Mornington Peninsula Freeway.There were more than twenty of them – all members of the the BROS motorcycle gang and they were wearing club colors.

The police officer was unsuccessful in his first attempt to intercept the motorcyclist and called for assistance on the police radio.

To his disgust, the reply from the radio operator was to CANCEL the intercept and let the bikies go because ‘we don’t want any confrontation’. The policeman was gob smacked but went ahead with the intercept. And YES there was a confrontation and assistance and backup were required.

But listen to this: The leader of this gang said that his members do not pull over for anyone unless he gives the instruction and on this occasion he didn’t want to be pulled over.

As my informant said: What an absolute joke.

He said, and he is right: This attitude that is being displayed by force command and the government will allow the bikie gangs to grow and flourish in Victoria. They need to be held accountable like every other motorist who drives on our roads . They are almost becoming ‘untouchable’.

So the War on Bikies headlines may look good for the punters. But cops at the coal face know there’s a do-gooder, group hug mentality at Police Command.

The bikies know it. They exploit it. They are laughing.