MARK COLVIN: As police across Australia deal with the recent escalation in public fighting between outlaw motorbike groups, investigators say they're starting to find some bikies breaking the code of silence. They believe the reason lies in changing recruitment trends.
Police say more people with specialised knowledge of drug manufacturing or violence are being let in and experts say the number of outlaw motor bikers is increasing.
But a national group representing motorbike clubs says the claims are baseless.
Tom Nightingale reports.
TOM NIGHTINGALE: For decades police have monitored outlaw motorbike groups.
And when they made arrests, or spoke with witnesses, information became very tough to get.
South Australian Police Assistant Commissioner, Grant Stevens.
GRANT STEVENS: The code of silence is something that we confront whenever we have to do an investigation involving outlawed motorcycle gang activity, particularly when there are victims or key witnesses to an offence.
TOM NIGHTINGALE: When outlaw motorbike groups appeared after the Second World War, many were returned servicemen. There were strict club rules and a hierarchy similar to the military.
There was also sometimes violent retribution for those who broke the code.
But Assistant Commissioner Stevens says police are finding the silence is starting to break
GRANT STEVENS: On our observations there seems to be a shift in the trend for how some outlaw motorcycle gangs recruit new members.
Traditionally it was quite a long process and a person had to earn the trust of the outlaw motorcycle gang and through that process, a substantial level of loyalty would have been developed.
Observations recently show that some of those recruiting practices might have shifted. It's much easier to become a member of some OMCGs and with that we've seen that that aspect of loyalty has, in some respects, diminished and we certainly try and take advantage of that when we can.
We see it, we see people coming and going from these clubs. We see people, a previously unheard of phenomenon was people shifting from one club to another.
TOM NIGHTINGALE: He says entry standards are easing to recruit people with skills in violence, or in drug manufacturing.
Assistant Commissioner Stevens says it may also be simply to boost membership, in the competition for strength in numbers against other outlaw motorbike clubs.
Russell Wattie is a spokesman for the United Motorcycle Council of Australia.
RUSSELL WATTIE: Police have been making that claim for 30 years, since the Milperra massacre; they're breaking the code of silence, that's their latest claim.
They've been claiming it for over 30 years. Nothing's changed.
TOM NIGHTINGALE: The organisation represents 15 motorbike clubs.
Russell Wattie says police are often too quick to blame some crimes on motorbike gang wars.
RUSSELL WATTIE: There's a lot of media hype and propaganda being spread out about supposed shootings and they find out time and time again that when they actually investigate them properly they weren't done by motorcycle clubs.
We had a recent shooting up near Robina where the first 24 hours it was supposedly Hells Angels when in the end it was nothing to do with Hells Angels. It was actually more of a personal dispute than anything else.
TOM NIGHTINGALE: The Australian Crime Commission says there are more than 40 outlawed motorcycle groups in Australia, with about 6,000 members.
Last year the Crime Commission also said overall member numbers were increasing.
State governments across the country are looking at law changes that could address the crimes committed by outlaw motorbike gangs.
But Russell Wattie says he believes all those efforts will be ruled invalid if challenged in the High Court.
RUSSELL WATTIE: Australia's constitution will continue to stand and knock down whatever (inaudible). They have to allow the separation of powers and the Government is continually looking for ways to change that and avoid that but fortunately the High Court will continue to back up the Australian Constitution for what it is.
http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2012/s3503507.htm
