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Police are serving anti-consorting notices to bikies following tough new laws against outlaw gangs

Tough new laws against outlaw motorcycle gangs are starting to bite.

Tasmania Police has served more than two dozen bikies with anti-consorting notices, and are about to roll out the ban on wearing gang insignia in public.

Anti-consorting laws were given the tick of approval in September last year, aimed at disrupting gangs by stopping members from associating with each other for five years.

It came less than a month after Parliament passed legislation restricting members of bikie gangs from wearing club colours in public.

Assistant Commissioner Richard Cowling has confirmed that 106 notices have been handed out to 25 individuals statewide.

The rollout of the official warning notices began in January and initially involved only eight convicted criminals based in the state’s North West.

“The notices remain in force for five years and during that time, if the served convicted offenders are found consorting with any of the other served convicted offenders in the absence of a legitimate defence on two or more occasions, they face arrest and prosecution,” he said.

A police officer with the rank of Inspector or higher can only authorise an official warning notice if he or she is satisfied it will “further the objective of preventing serious criminal activity, by deterring the person from establishing, maintaining and expanding criminal networks”.

OPINION: BIKIES ARE NOT SIGNLED OUT BY NEW LEGISLATION

And Assistant Commissioner Cowling said Tasmania Police was preparing its cases against criminal organisations in relation to the prohibited insignia legislation.

“It’s important to note that the legislation does not automatically ban any group and imposes a number of strict criteria which must be satisfied before any organisation can be proscribed,” Assistant Commissioner Cowling said.

“Once that occurs, that group will be banned from displaying their outlaw motorcycle gang insignia.”

BIKIES ON CRIME WATCH

Under the amended Police Offences Bill, Police Commissioner Darren Hine is required to make a recommendation to the Police Minister and Attorney-General to list an organisation as ‘proscribed’.

Only if approved can club members be proceeded against.

The five bikie gangs known to be on Tasmania Police’s radar are the Bandidos, Rebels, Outlaws, Devils Henchmen and Black Uhlans.

A “prohibited item” is any piece of clothing, jewellery or accessory that displays the name, club patch or logo of an identified gang.

chanel.kinniburgh@news.com.au

 


 

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