The ACT Government is drafting legislation to ban outlaw motorcycle gang members (OMCGs) from publicly wearing or displaying insignia, in a move backed by the Australian Federal Police Association.
Insignia are used to identify membership, intimidate the community, exert power and control, and recruit new members, ACT Chief Polic Officer Scott Lee said.
Under the proposed laws, banned insignia (including patches and logos) would not be able to be displayed on clothing, jewellery, signs, flags, or vehicles.
Dr Marisa Paterson MLA, Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services, said the reforms aim to disrupt criminal networks and reduce the public visibility of these gangs.
“OMCGs use [these] insignia to intimidate others, assert control, attract and recruit new members and normalise their presence in our community. These laws will send a clear message to these gangs that Canberra’s public spaces belong to our community, not criminal organisations.
“This ban would also make it harder for OMCGs to openly recruit. The laws would present ACT Policing with extra measures to reduce the influence of organised crime.”
Mr Lee said: “We welcome steps being taken to prevent them from displaying their insignia on Canberra’s streets, and believe this will assist ACT Policing in our ongoing fight to disrupt organised crime in the ACT and to help keep the Canberra community safe.”
The AFPA had raised the reform proposal with the government, and thanked Dr Paterson and Attorney-General Tara Cheyne MLA for their support. It was, AFPA President Alex Caruana said, “a long overdue reform that puts community safety ahead of criminal intimidation”.
“The proposed ban is a practical step that will help reduce the public visibility and social acceptance of outlaw motorcycle gangs in the Territory. These groups rely on presence, profile and intimidation. Stripping away their ability to openly display their insignia in public is important.
“It also makes recruitment harder. It reduces their ability to dominate public settings, and it sends a message that the ACT will not give organised crime a free pass.”
Mr Caruana said outlaw motorcycle gangs should not be able to visit Parliament House or Defence sites in large numbers while displaying their insigna.
“That kind of conduct is designed to build profile, send a message and normalise the presence of organised criminal groups in places where it is plainly inappropriate,” Mr Caruana said.
The AFPA acknowledged that human rights questions might arise as the legislation is developed, but was confident these issues could be addressed without undermining the case for reform.
