Fortification Removal Act 2013 (VIC) gives Bikies nowhere to Hide
Thursday 12 September 2013 @ 11.35 a.m. | Crime
Victoria has recently passed the Fortification Removal Act 2013 (Act Number 48 of 2013). The Act provides for the making of an order by the Magistrates’ Court, on application by the Chief Commissioner of Police, to require the removal or modification of fortification on premises that are connected to certain criminal offenses.
The law is another step by the Victorian legislature in its crackdown on bikie criminal activities. The law will provide police with the power to request the removal of fortifications, including CCTV and other surveillance equipment, from gang property where serious criminal activity is suspected. Any groups requested will have to remove the fortifications at their own expense.
The Premier of Victoria, Denis Napthine, says that this approach will mean that bikie gangs will “have nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.” Similar laws in other states have already helped police search bikie hideouts and arrest criminals.
The Attorney General of Victoria described fortifications as a “visible threat to community safety” and that he is certain that the law will not be challenged in Victoria like it had been in other states.
Victorian police have rejected criticisms that the new law will be too heavy-handed. They went on to say that the law will apply where the police have produced evidence to satisfy the court that the premises are being used on an ongoing basis for serious criminal activity only.
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