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Topic: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments  (Read 333684 times) previous topic - next topic
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Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments

Reply #555 –
Quote from: Thryleon – on
There was a lot of gang violence in the 80's and 90's that didnt hit the news.  More urban legends and myths than not, but fights near train stations were common place.

You reckon those things got reported to the police?

Yes there was crime back in the 80s no one is disputing that, but the fact remains it's very different now - I grew up in the northern suburbs and there were the local gangs hanging around the shops which caused issues if you picked on them but they did'nt randomly stab innocent citizens, werent doing home invasions or slicing you with machettes.

Its not the same today.  Innocent law abiding people are being randomly attacked with weapons and it's a daily occurrence that doesnt even raise an eyebrow anymore. 

Go for a drive into the western suburbs back streets at night and I bet you wouldn't feel safe casually walking around. And the fear is not you may get a punch to the face its a fear for your life - they are all armed have little money and are very dangerous if they think you have anything they can take. And they don't discriminate black, white, man women or child they will seriously assault anyone if there is even a small gain to be had

The fact the government thought a buy back system of machettes was needed says it all.

Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments

Reply #556 –
A couple of months before my 15th birthday, my 23 year policeman brother and I were stabbed multiple times by a random 28 year old about 30 metres from our home in Coburg.

That was around the time of the Vic Market murders and the Ustaše terror attacks but before the likes of the Crevally Street Boys had us scared crapless.

But yeah, there was no violence back in the day.
"Negative waves are not helpful. Try saying something righteous and hopeful instead." Oddball

Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments

Reply #557 –
I almost got stabbed on a Tram in Hawthorn by two drunk guys as a 14 year old.  Wrong place, wrong time, wrong people. 
Standing on a train platform at 10pm in Box hill is also something I dont recommend thanks to the drug and alcohol places around there.
Ive seen kids get in knife fights at the beach.
Ive seen people get beaten to a pulp.  No phone cameras, none of it reported to cops as it was all argy bargy.

Still, like I said, I have no data to back up anything is better, worse same. 

Now, its clips on Facebook, Youtube, instagram, tiktok.  It's in your pocket waiting to be shown to you the second you go doom scrolling. 

Quote
The fact the government thought a buy back system of machettes was needed says it all.
Surely thats no evidence of anything but Governments responding to a perceived crisis?

Im a pretty well travelled individual.  Worked in one of the night clubs in the early 2000's, was going out clubbing during the 2000's when the underbelly stuff was all landing.

Most people were oblivious to the world.  I worked in Broadmeadows and Brooklyn.  Had mates that went to VU and lived in St. Albans.  Another mate grew up in Doveton. 

The less I write about those areas the better.

The world is the same place it used to be, but most of Melbourne had no idea.  I maintain that we are more aware of things today than we used to be, as you watched the news and saw it, or you didn't back then. Cars stolen 3 times from out the front of the family home in Burwood.  Ditto dads panel van in east Burwood. 

I remember leaving Princes Park after a game vs Geelong and coming across a fan who had way too much to drink and not quite feeling safe at 6pm on a sunday.

You either had a false sense of security or you didnt.

My anecdotal evidence is not evidence, but it suggests that whilst a lot of the people around me were blind to the world, my eyes were open to the reality that we are all just walking along feeling a lot safer than we think we are.
"everything you know is wrong"

Paul Hewson

Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments

Reply #559 –
Quote from: DJC – on
A couple of months before my 15th birthday, my 23 year policeman brother and I were stabbed multiple times by a random 28 year old about 30 metres from our home in Coburg.

That was around the time of the Vic Market murders and the Ustaše terror attacks but before the likes of the Crevally Street Boys had us scared crapless.

But yeah, there was no violence back in the day.

Glad you and your brother got out of that situation with your lives, David.

Violence in Victoria today is just more reported on, and then pounced upon by opportunistic pollies and journalists with an agenda. And their answer: more punishment and incarceration. Sheesh, hasn't that worked well over the centuries.

One easy example of Victorian crime on the streets of Melbourne from the past... Razor gangs, and that was the 1920s! Numerous examples through the decades... and that's just the last century in Oz.

Disaffected and disenfranchised individuals have been around since time immemorial... and they congregate in gangs, then movements and so on.

Just a simple dive into human history and you'll find horrors on the streets and cities and towns over the centuries. And that's not to mention the prolific violence occurring in the family home, with so much not reported. The most dangerous creature in the animal kingdom is, humans.

Only our ruthless best, from Board to bootstudders will get us no. 17

Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments

Reply #560 –
Coincidentally, I have just finished a long phone call with an author who is researching a book on violence in Coburg and surrounding suburbs during the 1960s-80s.  It's surprising when you realise how many schoolmates (and I use "mates" advisedly) came to violent ends.  The number of thugs who joined VicPol is also surprising.

We were genuinely scared of the cops back then; they'd beat the crap out of you just because they felt like it  ::)
"Negative waves are not helpful. Try saying something righteous and hopeful instead." Oddball

Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments

Reply #561 –
Quote from: Thryleon – on

Quote
The fact the government thought a buy back system of machettes was needed says it all.


Surely that's no evidence of anything but Governments responding to a perceived crisis?


That's not evidence of anything but a state government wasting more money in a scheme that was intended to suggest that it was doing something useful.

Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments

Reply #562 –
I was 14 when I got bashed by some thugs after a [practice game at Princes Park. I hate to think what they would have done today, as similar thugs would be armed.
Mind you, it was the spark that made me learn karate. I got to brown with 2 black stripes (1 grading away from black in my style) before injury ruined that.
Live Long and Prosper!

Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments

Reply #563 –
Quote from: DJC – on
Victoria's Crime Statistics Agency provides pretty comprehensive data that's easy to access:

https://www.crimestatistics.vic.gov.au/

Be interested to see what makes up those stats.
"The number of criminal incidents recorded by Victoria Police in the year to 31 March 2026 was 468,711, down 1.0% from 473,518 incidents recorded in the same period last year."

June 2025: 15,909 police officers (Total workforce: 21,332)
June 2024: 16,059 police officers (Total workforce: 21,715)
June 2023: 15,842 police officers (Total workforce: 21,326)

I found estimates of 15,600 police this year.

Those numbers are 'whats recorded'.
The number of police officers available to record these crimes are going the opposite way to the number of crimes.
I suspect that a large part of the 'drop in crime' is simply things are not being recorded.

I suspect if there was 0 police officers around to record things, crimes recorded would magically disappear too. ;)

Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments

Reply #564 –
One of the big differences between the "good old days" and now is that we only had the Truth newspaper to tell us how bad things were.  Now we have the Murdoch papers, Sky News, shock jocks and influencers all banging on about how bad things are.
"Negative waves are not helpful. Try saying something righteous and hopeful instead." Oddball

Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments

Reply #565 –
Quote from: kruddler – on
Quote from: DJC – on
Victoria's Crime Statistics Agency provides pretty comprehensive data that's easy to access:

https://www.crimestatistics.vic.gov.au/

Be interested to see what makes up those stats.
"The number of criminal incidents recorded by Victoria Police in the year to 31 March 2026 was 468,711, down 1.0% from 473,518 incidents recorded in the same period last year."

June 2025: 15,909 police officers (Total workforce: 21,332)
June 2024: 16,059 police officers (Total workforce: 21,715)
June 2023: 15,842 police officers (Total workforce: 21,326)

I found estimates of 15,600 police this year.

Those numbers are 'whats recorded'.
The number of police officers available to record these crimes are going the opposite way to the number of crimes.
I suspect that a large part of the 'drop in crime' is simply things are not being recorded.

I suspect if there was 0 police officers around to record things, crimes recorded would magically disappear too. ;)

My son has the office next to the head of the Crime Statistics Agency but I'm not sure that he'd be willing to ask her for clarification.  He has told me about in-house presentations she's given and she does appear on the wireless from time to time.

Only those crimes that are the subject of formal reports by victims or incidents attended by VicPol are included in the stats so yes, fewer police = less reports logged.  However, back in the day you were more likely to get a crack with a baton or a punch in the guts  than be charged.  Topless "waitresses" definitely wouldn't have reported sexual assault by VFL footballers back then either.
"Negative waves are not helpful. Try saying something righteous and hopeful instead." Oddball

Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments

Reply #566 –
Two teens charged over a horror home invasion that saw a Werribee man slashed to the face with a samurai sword while trying to protect his family were both on bail.

And one of the boys, 15, had faced a children’s court just hours before the robbery on Monday, the aftermath of which was caught on camera showing a neighbour with a baseball bat coming to aid of a police officer wrestling an alleged thug.

A children’s court heard the teenager was on three counts of bail, with his defence lawyer saying his “engagement was really positive” until he was arrested over the shocking attack that left victim Gof Sritanaamorn hospitalised.

He refused to come up from the cells to appear in court on Tuesday and was remanded alongside his co-accused, 14.

The younger boy was preparing to go for bail again on Wednesday after spending his first night in custody.

Mr Sritanaamorn was slashed across the face with a samurai sword while trying to protect his wife and young daughter during the terrifying home invasion.

In shocking scenes captured on CCTV, one officer tackled one of the alleged armed robbers as he tried to flee the car, while the neighbour joined in and landed several blows with his baseball bat.
2012 HAPPENED!!!!!!!

Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments

Reply #567 –
Sensationalism!!!
2012 HAPPENED!!!!!!!

Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments

Reply #568 –
ABC News 23 Dec 2005

Quote
Two men found guilty of murdering three men after a fight outside the Salt nightclub in South Yarra in Melbourne three years ago, have each been sentenced to 30 years in jail.

Five other men will serve lesser sentences for the murder of one of the men in the fight.

The seven men were found guilty of murdering 19-year-old James Huynh, who died after being attacked with samurai swords and machetes.

Cuong Quoc Lam, 26 and Hung Tu Van, 29, were also found guilty of the murders of Mr Huynh's two cousins, who drowned after jumping into the Yarra River to escape that attack.

They have been sentenced to 30 years in jail with a 23-year non-parole period.
"Negative waves are not helpful. Try saying something righteous and hopeful instead." Oddball
 

Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments

Reply #569 –
Quote from: DJC – on
Only those crimes that are the subject of formal reports by victims or incidents attended by VicPol are included in the stats so yes, fewer police = less reports logged.  However, back in the day you were more likely to get a crack with a baton or a punch in the guts  than be charged.  Topless "waitresses" definitely wouldn't have reported sexual assault by VFL footballers back then either.

re bold.....and that would lead to a lot less repeat offenders nowadays too. Sadly, that is not allowed anymore.
Instead, back out on the streets within 24 hours ready to go again, knowing that the 'consequences' were basically non-existant.

Which, in practice, would suggest there would be plenty of crimes that get overlooked as the coppers know that the paperwork isn't worth their time as a result. So less crime is reported.

I've got police members in the family. One left over a decade ago after serving 2 or more decades. One is now almost at retirement age after decades. I hear all sorts of stories.

To me there is a definite shift.
In the past, you could always find trouble if you went looking for it.

Now, trouble finds you when you least expect it......and often.
The 'cancer kid' is proof of that.