NSW: Warring bikies blamed for spike in driveby shootings

AAP General News (Australia)
04-15-2009
NSW: Warring bikies blamed for spike in driveby shootings

SYDNEY, April 15 AAP - Sydney's warring bikie gangs have been blamed for a spike in
the number of driveby shootings in NSW.

NSW Police and the state government have welcomed the latest figures from the Bureau
of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR), showing crime rates fell or remained stable
in most areas in the state.

The figures, for the 24 months to December 2008, showed armed robberies dropped to
their lowest levels in more than a decade.

But they also revealed bikie gang violence was an escalating problem long before last
month's fatal brawl at Sydney Airport.

There was a 26 per cent increase in the number of incidents where firearms were discharged
into premises, from 77 incidents in 2007 to 97 incidents in 2008.

BOCSAR director Don Weatherburn suggested bikie gangs could be behind the spike in
driveby shootings, the majority of which occurred in Sydney's southwest.

"The jump in incidents of people discharging firearms into houses is partly related
to the conflict between various bikie gangs, but you'll have to speak to police to get
more information about this," Dr Weatherburn said.

NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Dave Owens said bikie gang violence was a contributing
factor to the increase.

"Late last year we had an increase in the number of drivebys as I refer to them," he said.

"A percentage of them could be accounted with the bikie conflict, however ... we're
working very hard to reduce any shots fired into any premises any time, day or night."

NSW Police have formed Strike Force Raptor, a specialist group of more than 75 officers,
to target bikie gang violence.

More than 15 men have been charged with a range of affray, traffic and drug offences,
with police expecting to lay a murder charge over the airport brawl between Hells Angels
and Comancheros, which resulted in the death of Anthony Zervas.

Despite a rise in some crimes, Police Minister Tony Kelly said the figures were encouraging
overall.

"They show that the NSW Police Force is doing a great job in chasing up these criminals
and reducing crime rates," Mr Kelly said.

"These figures show that 15 of the 17 major crime categories are either reducing, some
of them dramatically, or remaining stable over the last two years. They are encouraging
results.

"The NSW Police Force target people they know who are likely to commit crime, recidivists
and potential offenders, and these are producing excellent results."

Mr Kelly said a 15.7 per cent jump in fraud and a 7.8 per cent rise in shoplifting
could be due to tough economic times. BOCSAR attributed the fraud increase to a spike
in petrol theft.

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KEYWORD: CRIME NSW BIKIES

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