OFF THE WIRE
THE Crime Gangs Task Force and the State Government's controversial anti-bikie laws are still the best weapons available to police, Commissioner Mal Hyde said yesterday.
He said barring orders, public-safety orders, as well as higher penalties for drug trafficking and firearm offences had still worked to the point where more than 100 of 274 bikie members were facing charges.
"Before the legislation was brought in there was about 250 members of the various clubs. That dropped down to just under 200," Mr Hyde said.
"If you look at the Finks motorcycle group in particular, there are currently 52 members to our knowledge and 30 of them are facing charges and nine of them are in prison.
"When you look at the three groups that are really the high profile at the moment - the Comancheros, the Finks and also the Hells Angels, combined there's about 122 members of those groups and 63 are facing charges."
But Mr Hyde said "patchy" court sentences were hindering police efforts to lock bikies away.
In recent years:
FINKS member Dylan Jessen was fined $2000 in January over a brawl.
THE Supreme Court increased jail terms for three Finks members over a 2009 assault.
REBELS bikies Jamie Richard Mills and Giovanni Licastro were jailed in November 2010 for shooting at a Waymouth St nightclub in October 2009.
SENIOR Finks member William John Davis was jailed for 6½ years in June 2010 for hiding rifles and ammunition in his home's walls.
FORMER Hells Angel George Petropoulos received a suspended jail term in 2008 for theft and extortion.
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/police-say-anti-bikie-laws-are-our-best-weapon/story-e6frea6u-1226257754672
