帮派暴力- 强化法制、扩充警力方为道

面对暴力帮派份子在墨尔本公然暴动，挑衅公权力，强行闯入民宅偷车等犯罪行为，而我们的警察和现有法律对之束手无策的情况着实让人担忧。

 

儘管州长 Daniel Andrews 声明: “这些人将会感受到法律强大的力量”，然则，除非我们的法律是那样的强大，警力是如此的充足，否则口号就只是空中楼阁，不会成为动词，不会成为现在式，更难以成为未来进行式，仅仅一句空话，没有任何的意义。　

 

理想很丰满，现实很骨感。 令人遗憾的是在政府夸夸其谈喊口号之际，却拒绝聘用更多警力投入社会，在高喊法律强大之时，却放鬆法制控管。 种种政策造成重大刑犯可轻易逃避牢狱之灾，转而申请社区假释令 (community based sentence)；对于违反保释条件的青少年罪犯也没有任何处罚。若人们对法制、公权力和社会中生活的彼此丧失了尊重，则社会必然动乱。

 

如年轻人能在家中学会和人相处、互相尊重等价值观固然可喜，但倘若他们无法学会或拒绝遵重他人，则法律就需採取适当行动，教导他们犯罪的行为必然伴随而来法律惩罚的结果。

只有通过强化法制的教育和执行，确实落实改革，保护邻里社区，维护治安才不会只是空谈，”这些人将会感受法律强大的力量”　这句话也才不会成为苍白无力的口号。

 

英文版/ English version

Street riots – we need more police and stronger laws

 

It is very concerning that violent street gangs are able to riot on city streets, break into homes and steal cars, and yet our police and the law seem powerless to stop it.

 

The Premier, Mr Andrews, says offenders “will feel the full force of the law”. However, these are empty words unless our police and laws are strong enough.

 

Regrettably, the government is refusing to appoint more police, and is making our laws weaker, not stronger. It is now easier for serious violent offenders to avoid jail and get a community based sentence instead. As well, penalties are being removed for juvenile offenders who disobey bail conditions.

 

No society can function unless people have respect for the law and respect for each other. It’s much better if young people learn those values at home with loving families. But where they can’t or won’t, the law needs to teach that actions have consequences and needs to properly protect the community from criminal behaviour.