In the wee hours of Friday morning, shots were fired at a shop in Ballajura, triggering a large police presence and investigation. The Western Australia Police Department have said they think the shooting is linked to declared criminal organisation/organised crime, which is a worrisome precedent in the state. WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch was as clear as could be that this incident is not an isolated case. Crime gangs are understandably retaliating over the illegal distribution of tobacco.
According to witnesses, police fired at least 15 shots outside the shop. Perceptive readers noticed this bullet hole in the otherwise white wall located just to the right of the store’s entrance. It is a deeply disturbing reminder of the violence associated with these groups. During the fairly chaotic aftermath of the shooting, the suspect was last seen running toward Kingfisher Avenue.
Investigating Organised Crime Links
Commissioner Blanch went on to paint a troubling picture of the incident in greater depth. He proposed it might be connected to a current “turf war,” among networks of organized crime. He went on to call the shooting a standover tactic. This ground for secondary liability is based on common intimidation tactics utilized by gangs to exert territorial control and protect business ventures.
“That is a classic organised crime tactic.” – Commissioner Blanch
Blanch expressed her anger and frustration over the recent, tragic uptick in violence. She noted that the most recent attacks occurred earlier this year at suburban tobacco shops in Cannington and Huntingdale. In August, one of these spaces withstood shots fired and probable arson attacks. This incident is a reflection of how deeply rooted these gangs are and how far they are willing to go to maintain control.
The Commissioner attributed these shocking escalations of violence to the efforts by OCGs to intimidate and control legitimate businesses. Blanch said they thought these kinds of actions would discourage any kind of collaboration with law enforcement. They believe it will punish anyone that may have been responsible for ensuring arrests happen in their forces.
“Sadly, organised crime think a response to that is to stand over, intimidate and take actions like arson and shootings against those that they feel may have contributed to their arrest.” – Commissioner Blanch
Focus on the Bigger Picture
The WA Police are now focusing on arresting those at the top of these organised crime networks. Commissioner Blanch commented that we have to shift our attention toward those who are making money off of illegal crimes. These operations often go well outside the boundaries of Western Australia.
“Our priority at the moment is who’s earning the profit outside of Western Australia, often over the east coast of Australia or overseas,” – Commissioner Blanch
He further expressed his frustration regarding the lengthy extradition processes in Australia compared to other countries, such as the United States. According to Blanch, holding people from other jurisdictions accountable could take years. This drawn out process undermines our ability to fight organized crime effectively.
“If we want to have a serious chance, a serious chance at disrupting transnational serious and organised crime, Australia has to be much faster in extraditing those who are causing the greatest harm to our community in organised crime sense from overseas.” – Commissioner Blanch
The Ongoing Battle Against Crime
The recent shooting serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing battle against organised crime in Perth and its suburbs. Police already have challenging work to do in any effort to bring safety and order to an impacted community. The complications of these networks further add to the challenges of their work.
In closing, Commissioner Blanch sought to reassure the public that their local authorities are all in on addressing these pervasive issues. He pointed out that law enforcement has already tracked down most of the people responsible for the recent outbreak of crime. This indicates their greater willingness to crackdown on these networks.
“In fact, we’ve identified most people involved in any of these cases.” – Commissioner Blanch
Police are conducting an extensive investigation into the shooting, including examining possible links to organized crime. Residents need to be attentive and report any criminal behavior they see. Law enforcement are understandably set on hunting down the perpetrators of this most recent senseless act of violence. They’re hoping to take down the bigger crime syndicate that’s targeting Perth’s suburbs.
