OCTOBER 27, 2020 \ STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
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Art for the soul One of Sunshine’s newest murals pays homage to the Australian African community and their contribution to Brimbank. Artist Katherine Gailer’s Flourish: Story of a Diaspora in Stark Place was created as part of council’s Creative Brimbank initiative. It has been nominated for The Global Art Awards 2020, an international award for visual arts. Gailer worked with the western suburbs African women’s group, Kontiki Cultural Women Empowerment, to ensure the mural was culturally appropriate. “My work honours the beauty of diversity, women and the connection to our natural environment,” she said. “I want to spark a light in people’s hearts.” Originally from Bogota, Colombia, Gailer moved to Melbourne more than a decade ago to study fine arts. She will soon begin an art residency with Brimbank council, creating murals around the west. Vote online: www.theglobalartawards. com/vote-entries. KATHERINE GAILER
Esther Lauaki
Youth gang crackdown By Esther Lauaki More than 250 arrests have been made in the past month as part of a statewide police operation focusing on serious and violent offenders. Operation Alliance, which started in September, was established to prevent, disrupt and dismantle youth street gangs responsible for crimes such as robberies, aggravated burglaries, serious assaults, car thefts, and home invasions. Over the past month, local police worked alongside specialist units to target youth gangs across suburbs in Melbourne’s north-west, south-east and east, as well as Geelong.
Police also targeted known offenders and persons of interest in relation to serious and violent crimes. A total of 88 search warrants were executed at addresses across suburbs including Caroline Springs, Deer Park, Werribee, and North Melbourne. Police issued 24 Firearm Prohibition Orders across the state. Regional operations deputy commissioner Rick Nugent said Operation Alliance would remain focused on youth offenders engaged in networked criminal offending causing the most harm within our community. “Operation Alliance uses an integrated and co-ordinated approach to tackling youth
gangs in every region,” Deputy Commissioner Nugent said. “This sees local police working alongside specialist units – sharing real-time intelligence and information. “We anticipated Operation Alliance would be successful and that has proved to be the case early on, with multiple arrests and seizures of dangerous items, such as firearm and other weapons. “Combined with a strong focus on other serious and violent offending in the regions, this has meant there are 70 serious offenders currently sitting in cells awaiting their court date, rather than roaming our streets.” More than 720 charges have been laid as part of Operation Alliance.
The majority of offenders arrested were males aged between their mid-teens and mid-twenties. Deputy Commissioner Nugent said youth gangs weren’t solely restricted to offending in their local neighbourhood, with offenders often striking in a sequence and showing no reservations travelling … to commit further crimes. “We make no apologies for targeting the individuals who commit the most serious and violent crimes in our community.” Anyone with information about offences or gang activity is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.
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