In Victoria, hundreds of gang members are being watched as new data reveals the severity of the state’s crime issue.
According to the statistics, 280 of the 644 people on the police watch list are thought to be the most interesting. The most problematic members of that group have been charged with 3000 offenses total.
Only 11% of juvenile offenders are kept in jail, which means that almost 90% are released on bail. There are now 42 adolescents in juvenile detention facilities and 84 youth of interest.
Police claim that their main goal is to stop criminal cycles and steer young offenders who aren’t yet totally gang-integrated in the right direction.
It happens as states argue over raising the legal age of criminal responsibility to 14. There are new requests for national uniformity on the subject.
The minimum age is currently 10 in New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia, and Tasmania.
The Australian Capital Territory plans to raise it to 14 by 2027, while the Northern Territory will raise it to 12 starting in 2019.
