1 00:00:01,240 --> 00:00:03,440 Speaker 1: Apparently if you own a nice house and a nice 2 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:06,080 Speaker 1: car is in the driveway, you're a target at the moment. 3 00:00:06,240 --> 00:00:11,040 Speaker 2: There's nothing funny about unarmed youth with a machete that 4 00:00:11,080 --> 00:00:14,240 Speaker 2: could literally cut someone's head off coming into a house 5 00:00:14,640 --> 00:00:16,440 Speaker 2: to pinch a car on a piggy bank and a 6 00:00:16,440 --> 00:00:16,960 Speaker 2: few things. 7 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:18,759 Speaker 1: And they said, I don't want to blame COVID. I 8 00:00:18,840 --> 00:00:22,360 Speaker 1: really don't, But my son or daughter was locked up 9 00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:24,919 Speaker 1: inside for so long and had so many rules and 10 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:28,240 Speaker 1: regulations around them, and once they got out, that was great, 11 00:00:28,480 --> 00:00:29,840 Speaker 1: but then they just went nuts. 12 00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:33,440 Speaker 2: My'm Andrew rules his life and crimes. This month, we 13 00:00:33,479 --> 00:00:38,199 Speaker 2: are seeing the rise and rise and rise of trouble 14 00:00:38,520 --> 00:00:41,840 Speaker 2: in our streets and in our homes. The Herald Son 15 00:00:42,479 --> 00:00:45,319 Speaker 2: is calling it our suburbs under siege. And you can 16 00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:50,400 Speaker 2: see why our editors here have gone for that headline 17 00:00:50,920 --> 00:00:55,480 Speaker 2: and that theme, because it's the story of our times. 18 00:00:55,760 --> 00:00:59,160 Speaker 2: Reagan Hodge, you are a crime report for the Herald Son, 19 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:03,960 Speaker 2: a part in covering this story for a lot of months. Now, 20 00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:06,840 Speaker 2: you and some of your colleagues you've currently dropped in 21 00:01:06,880 --> 00:01:09,640 Speaker 2: to talk about it. Why are we seeing a spike 22 00:01:09,680 --> 00:01:12,120 Speaker 2: in this new year of twenty twenty five. Is there 23 00:01:12,200 --> 00:01:12,639 Speaker 2: a spike. 24 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:17,560 Speaker 1: I think it's just being highlighted more aline and victims 25 00:01:17,680 --> 00:01:21,400 Speaker 1: are becoming increasingly fed up with this. You know, they've 26 00:01:21,400 --> 00:01:22,880 Speaker 1: sort of put up with it for the past couple 27 00:01:22,920 --> 00:01:25,840 Speaker 1: of years, but I think in the past few months 28 00:01:25,880 --> 00:01:29,240 Speaker 1: and over summer and it's autumn this year, they've sort 29 00:01:29,240 --> 00:01:31,640 Speaker 1: of put the foot down and said they've really had 30 00:01:31,760 --> 00:01:34,399 Speaker 1: enough and they want they really want to change. 31 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:38,280 Speaker 2: It strikes me, just as not a casual observer, but 32 00:01:38,480 --> 00:01:42,119 Speaker 2: as someone who's been watching this develop that we're now 33 00:01:42,160 --> 00:01:47,919 Speaker 2: seeing some precise and fairly graphic examples of people who've 34 00:01:47,960 --> 00:01:52,560 Speaker 2: had their homes invaded by armed youths and have been 35 00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:54,640 Speaker 2: willing to talk about it and come to us and 36 00:01:55,280 --> 00:02:00,360 Speaker 2: bear their stories or publish their stories. For instance, the 37 00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:03,080 Speaker 2: lady we had in our paper in the last few 38 00:02:03,160 --> 00:02:08,079 Speaker 2: days told about how she can't sleep and how it's 39 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:10,720 Speaker 2: really sort of ruined her life, which you can imagine happening, 40 00:02:10,840 --> 00:02:13,080 Speaker 2: and more than one. She's not the only one. 41 00:02:12,919 --> 00:02:15,560 Speaker 1: But not at all. I've spoken to a few people 42 00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:18,400 Speaker 1: in the last few days. We're talking in early March, 43 00:02:18,840 --> 00:02:21,760 Speaker 1: and there's a young fella. He's only seven, he's in 44 00:02:21,760 --> 00:02:24,919 Speaker 1: grade two. This year, his family enjoyed a home invasion 45 00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:27,880 Speaker 1: at their Armadale home, and people will say, oh, it's 46 00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:30,440 Speaker 1: a ritzy suburb, But there's still a seven year old 47 00:02:30,520 --> 00:02:33,880 Speaker 1: kids sleeping in there. And that was in December and 48 00:02:33,919 --> 00:02:37,160 Speaker 1: it's early March. He still hasn't slept a whole night 49 00:02:37,600 --> 00:02:40,120 Speaker 1: in his own bed. He's just too scared that the 50 00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:41,680 Speaker 1: offenders may return. 51 00:02:42,040 --> 00:02:45,040 Speaker 2: Of course, what sort of people would say oh, it's 52 00:02:45,040 --> 00:02:47,720 Speaker 2: a richy suburb as some sort of oblique defense. 53 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:50,640 Speaker 1: Who would say that people online are quite happy to 54 00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:56,079 Speaker 1: have a go, And even the teenage criminals whose who 55 00:02:56,160 --> 00:02:59,400 Speaker 1: drive around the suburbs. I just got off the phone 56 00:02:59,440 --> 00:03:03,160 Speaker 1: to a parent of one of these teenage offenders just 57 00:03:03,200 --> 00:03:06,920 Speaker 1: before I jumped in here, and a son told his 58 00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:10,639 Speaker 1: mother that I don't worry about the rich people. They've 59 00:03:10,639 --> 00:03:13,120 Speaker 1: got enough money to replace a car. That's why we go. 60 00:03:13,680 --> 00:03:16,160 Speaker 1: That's why we go and steal them, which is just 61 00:03:16,440 --> 00:03:17,480 Speaker 1: grateling to hear it. 62 00:03:17,880 --> 00:03:21,320 Speaker 2: That's just wonderful, isn't it. I mind, you, people that 63 00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:25,079 Speaker 2: do the wrong thing at every level justify it, from 64 00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:30,520 Speaker 2: dictators down to shop thieves and pedophiles. They always justify 65 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:32,720 Speaker 2: it and say that they're not as. 66 00:03:32,600 --> 00:03:34,760 Speaker 1: Bad as the other guy. 67 00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:38,360 Speaker 2: That's worse at eas human nature to do that, to 68 00:03:39,040 --> 00:03:42,600 Speaker 2: push the blame sideways. But he's sort of shocking to hear, 69 00:03:42,640 --> 00:03:44,640 Speaker 2: and it would make a lot of people very angry 70 00:03:44,720 --> 00:03:45,200 Speaker 2: to hear that. 71 00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:47,840 Speaker 1: And I know one of our colleagues here at the 72 00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:51,280 Speaker 1: Herald Son he questioned, why you would own a nice 73 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:54,680 Speaker 1: car now knowing that there's almost a good chance it's 74 00:03:54,680 --> 00:03:57,720 Speaker 1: going to be pinched, then you might be better off 75 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:03,160 Speaker 1: owning a sort of a more vint style, less luxury vehicle, 76 00:04:03,440 --> 00:04:05,680 Speaker 1: which isn't as appealing to some crooks. 77 00:04:05,840 --> 00:04:09,200 Speaker 2: It won't stop them stealing cars even if everybody switched 78 00:04:09,360 --> 00:04:11,040 Speaker 2: to eight year old Volvers. 79 00:04:11,080 --> 00:04:13,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's what they'll steal. Tell you, what would be 80 00:04:13,640 --> 00:04:15,600 Speaker 1: a good deterrent is to drive a manual. 81 00:04:16,800 --> 00:04:20,039 Speaker 2: That is the smartest thing I have heard for a 82 00:04:20,040 --> 00:04:25,200 Speaker 2: long time, because none of them, nobody manual is. In fact, 83 00:04:25,279 --> 00:04:28,320 Speaker 2: I have a three year old grandson who when he 84 00:04:28,400 --> 00:04:31,320 Speaker 2: gets in the car with my wife, in a particular 85 00:04:31,320 --> 00:04:33,960 Speaker 2: car with my wife and she uses the gear stick, 86 00:04:34,279 --> 00:04:37,479 Speaker 2: he is blown away that she can do this because 87 00:04:37,520 --> 00:04:40,719 Speaker 2: he's never seen either of his parents driving a manual, 88 00:04:40,800 --> 00:04:43,840 Speaker 2: and he notices that it's just part of life. 89 00:04:43,880 --> 00:04:46,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, that would be a pretty handy deterrent. And I 90 00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:50,560 Speaker 1: wouldn't be surprised if people opted by a manual car 91 00:04:50,600 --> 00:04:53,120 Speaker 1: at the sales. I mean, people are putting the old 92 00:04:53,160 --> 00:04:56,680 Speaker 1: steering wheel locks on their cars again, putting tracking devices 93 00:04:56,760 --> 00:04:59,360 Speaker 1: under their bumpers to see where their car is at 94 00:04:59,360 --> 00:05:01,760 Speaker 1: all times of the day in case it gets nicked. Yeah, 95 00:05:01,839 --> 00:05:03,840 Speaker 1: buying a man car might be the way to go. 96 00:05:04,560 --> 00:05:07,240 Speaker 2: Oh, look into that. I quite like manuals. Have you 97 00:05:07,279 --> 00:05:08,080 Speaker 2: written that story? 98 00:05:08,600 --> 00:05:10,680 Speaker 1: No, So it's out there for anyone that wants to 99 00:05:10,760 --> 00:05:12,080 Speaker 1: jump by. 100 00:05:12,720 --> 00:05:14,600 Speaker 2: I think by the time we go towere, you might 101 00:05:14,640 --> 00:05:17,359 Speaker 2: have a lot of these, you said, skinny guys that 102 00:05:17,440 --> 00:05:20,440 Speaker 2: can get through things like dog access doors, you know, 103 00:05:20,920 --> 00:05:24,960 Speaker 2: dog flaps, or through bathroom windows, those sort of tight 104 00:05:25,760 --> 00:05:29,039 Speaker 2: fitting spots that most of us wouldn't get to. But 105 00:05:29,120 --> 00:05:32,280 Speaker 2: they're young, they're stronger athletic, and they're pretty skinny. Is 106 00:05:32,320 --> 00:05:33,599 Speaker 2: that a fair observation? 107 00:05:33,839 --> 00:05:35,279 Speaker 1: They are on the slimmer side. 108 00:05:35,440 --> 00:05:37,120 Speaker 2: Is that why the police call them skinnies? 109 00:05:37,560 --> 00:05:40,760 Speaker 1: That's possibly the reason. But we got sent some video 110 00:05:41,240 --> 00:05:46,640 Speaker 1: recently of this very lanky gentleman jumping through a doggy door, 111 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:49,880 Speaker 1: and he managed to reach through the doggy door. Half 112 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:52,480 Speaker 1: his body was through it and he managed to unlock 113 00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:54,960 Speaker 1: the laundry door with his hand. Yes, and away they 114 00:05:54,960 --> 00:05:57,640 Speaker 1: went in. They go walk around the land room, in 115 00:05:57,680 --> 00:06:01,240 Speaker 1: the kitchen. Oh, there's the handbag, there's the keys, there's 116 00:06:01,240 --> 00:06:04,360 Speaker 1: a new car, there's some wheels for us. And where 117 00:06:04,360 --> 00:06:06,640 Speaker 1: we go out the laundry door. They went back over 118 00:06:06,680 --> 00:06:07,080 Speaker 1: the fence. 119 00:06:07,680 --> 00:06:10,840 Speaker 2: So, as well as manual cars, perhaps you either need 120 00:06:10,960 --> 00:06:13,680 Speaker 2: very small dogs or if you've got a large dog, 121 00:06:13,760 --> 00:06:15,279 Speaker 2: an extremely savage one. 122 00:06:15,360 --> 00:06:17,240 Speaker 1: An extremely loud one will do the trick. 123 00:06:17,520 --> 00:06:20,400 Speaker 2: A loud one does the trick. Is this the assessment 124 00:06:20,440 --> 00:06:25,080 Speaker 2: of seasoned police that say loud dogs will repel skinnies Police. 125 00:06:24,760 --> 00:06:28,200 Speaker 1: And victims mainly are the ones that say, yeah, the 126 00:06:28,240 --> 00:06:31,080 Speaker 1: dogs started barking and that sort of set the offenders 127 00:06:31,080 --> 00:06:34,520 Speaker 1: off and they'd rather no confrontation, so off they go. 128 00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:39,400 Speaker 1: You see countless videos from front porches and driveways of 129 00:06:39,800 --> 00:06:42,240 Speaker 1: people creeping up to a front door and they're tiptying 130 00:06:42,680 --> 00:06:46,040 Speaker 1: ready to try and unlock the front door, and then 131 00:06:46,040 --> 00:06:48,160 Speaker 1: the dog starts barking, and off they go. They sprint. 132 00:06:48,320 --> 00:06:52,200 Speaker 1: They've had enough not entering this home because a little 133 00:06:52,240 --> 00:06:55,239 Speaker 1: yap yap dog is having to go and it's saved 134 00:06:55,240 --> 00:06:55,560 Speaker 1: the day. 135 00:06:56,080 --> 00:06:57,240 Speaker 2: That's so good, isn't it. 136 00:06:57,240 --> 00:06:58,440 Speaker 1: It's pretty good footage. 137 00:06:59,040 --> 00:07:01,760 Speaker 2: I think probably there's an opening for the right sort 138 00:07:01,800 --> 00:07:05,120 Speaker 2: of dogs to do this, you know, good noisy, tough 139 00:07:05,200 --> 00:07:06,440 Speaker 2: dogs that will have a bit of a. 140 00:07:06,400 --> 00:07:09,000 Speaker 1: Go to those little yap yap ones, that little white 141 00:07:09,040 --> 00:07:11,440 Speaker 1: fluffy ones. Anything it makes a noise, or do the 142 00:07:11,520 --> 00:07:12,200 Speaker 1: job at the moment. 143 00:07:13,080 --> 00:07:16,800 Speaker 2: Good stuff. Among the examples we've read recently, there was 144 00:07:16,840 --> 00:07:19,440 Speaker 2: a woman in Brighton who there was a pretty big 145 00:07:19,480 --> 00:07:22,720 Speaker 2: story about her, and there was the other one in winter. 146 00:07:23,320 --> 00:07:26,160 Speaker 2: Can you recall those stories and what was the essence 147 00:07:26,200 --> 00:07:26,560 Speaker 2: of them? 148 00:07:26,800 --> 00:07:31,200 Speaker 1: So at Windsor at the home belongs to Flora Socrats 149 00:07:31,240 --> 00:07:34,960 Speaker 1: and she was walking down her hallway in the middle 150 00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:37,960 Speaker 1: of the day. It was daylight. You could see in 151 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:41,720 Speaker 1: the video that she's eventually posted and sent to us 152 00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:45,480 Speaker 1: the sun shining. It's two three in the afternoon and 153 00:07:45,560 --> 00:07:48,600 Speaker 1: she has decided to get her phone out after she 154 00:07:48,640 --> 00:07:52,680 Speaker 1: spotted an alleged defender walking down the hallway and into 155 00:07:52,720 --> 00:07:55,560 Speaker 1: her kitchen while she was home. Now this a young 156 00:07:55,640 --> 00:07:58,000 Speaker 1: chap had her backpack on and a hood over his face, 157 00:07:58,560 --> 00:08:02,280 Speaker 1: and she begins from meals on wheels. I don't think 158 00:08:02,280 --> 00:08:04,920 Speaker 1: he was waking I'm making a house visit. I don't 159 00:08:04,920 --> 00:08:08,040 Speaker 1: think he was fixing the sink or making a delivery 160 00:08:08,040 --> 00:08:10,160 Speaker 1: in the post. I think he was having a snoop 161 00:08:10,200 --> 00:08:14,240 Speaker 1: around of maybe what Flora socratis owned. And she decided 162 00:08:14,280 --> 00:08:19,120 Speaker 1: to which was just crazy, and it's really good footage 163 00:08:19,320 --> 00:08:22,480 Speaker 1: for us and the public to see. She's whipped out 164 00:08:22,480 --> 00:08:24,800 Speaker 1: her phone and just chased this bloke down the hallway 165 00:08:25,160 --> 00:08:27,000 Speaker 1: and she's screaming, what are you doing in my house? 166 00:08:27,080 --> 00:08:28,720 Speaker 1: What are you doing? What's in your bag? What have 167 00:08:28,800 --> 00:08:32,280 Speaker 1: you taken? It was really quite dramatic. And she's chased 168 00:08:32,320 --> 00:08:35,480 Speaker 1: him out the front door and he jumps over the fence. 169 00:08:35,520 --> 00:08:38,000 Speaker 1: One leg goes over, the second one goes over, and 170 00:08:38,080 --> 00:08:41,400 Speaker 1: she's just filming this all on her phone, which twenty 171 00:08:41,559 --> 00:08:44,520 Speaker 1: thirty years ago would be unheard of, of course, but 172 00:08:44,600 --> 00:08:46,600 Speaker 1: that's I think the current age we live in. 173 00:08:47,520 --> 00:08:49,560 Speaker 2: That's a very good story. And was he an athletic 174 00:08:49,600 --> 00:08:51,679 Speaker 2: young fellow there could jump over the fences. 175 00:08:51,920 --> 00:08:54,199 Speaker 1: He managed to get over quite quickly, so. 176 00:08:54,200 --> 00:08:56,400 Speaker 2: He wasn't just a little fat garden though he was 177 00:08:56,440 --> 00:08:57,320 Speaker 2: a tall, skinny boat. 178 00:08:57,520 --> 00:09:00,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, he wasn't on the thick site. 179 00:09:00,840 --> 00:09:04,440 Speaker 2: Good and he probably doesn't understand history, because if he 180 00:09:04,520 --> 00:09:10,240 Speaker 2: knew what Greeks did the German paratroopers in World War Two, 181 00:09:10,920 --> 00:09:14,720 Speaker 2: it's particularly increte he might not do that because the 182 00:09:14,760 --> 00:09:18,320 Speaker 2: Greeks have a habit of picking up the nearest cutlery 183 00:09:19,320 --> 00:09:23,320 Speaker 2: and attacking. I once knew Greek shepherd killed seven Germans 184 00:09:23,440 --> 00:09:28,880 Speaker 2: really with a knife. Really, he was quite quite willing. Now, 185 00:09:28,960 --> 00:09:31,960 Speaker 2: the other case we're looking at, I think or you 186 00:09:32,040 --> 00:09:34,800 Speaker 2: looked at, was at black Rock, which of course is 187 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:38,480 Speaker 2: one of our most excellent bayside suburbs in Melbourne. But 188 00:09:39,200 --> 00:09:41,560 Speaker 2: you know, it's just a good, solid place. It's not 189 00:09:41,640 --> 00:09:43,720 Speaker 2: too rack. It's the sort of place where a lot 190 00:09:43,720 --> 00:09:47,280 Speaker 2: of people live and enjoy themselves and work hard and 191 00:09:47,320 --> 00:09:50,400 Speaker 2: all that, and their reward for that is to be 192 00:09:50,440 --> 00:09:51,040 Speaker 2: broken into. 193 00:09:51,960 --> 00:09:54,200 Speaker 1: Apparently, if you own a nice house and a nice 194 00:09:54,240 --> 00:09:56,800 Speaker 1: car is in the driveway, you're a target at the moment. 195 00:09:56,880 --> 00:09:59,920 Speaker 1: So we went out there in early March with her 196 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:04,080 Speaker 1: that some footage was circling around of these alleged defenders 197 00:10:04,280 --> 00:10:09,720 Speaker 1: walking up a driveway so calmly. This bloke has a 198 00:10:10,120 --> 00:10:13,520 Speaker 1: big machete in his right hand, and the homeowners estimated 199 00:10:13,559 --> 00:10:17,200 Speaker 1: it to be about eighty centimeters in length. It was enormous. 200 00:10:17,760 --> 00:10:20,320 Speaker 1: And he's got a hood on, he's got the slides on, 201 00:10:20,640 --> 00:10:23,240 Speaker 1: he's got a little backpack on. I think, just walks 202 00:10:23,280 --> 00:10:26,320 Speaker 1: up the driveway and then two blokes follow suit and 203 00:10:26,360 --> 00:10:29,400 Speaker 1: then they go. This was at five o'clock in the 204 00:10:29,400 --> 00:10:33,920 Speaker 1: morning on a Tuesday in early March. Not even two 205 00:10:34,080 --> 00:10:36,160 Speaker 1: in the morning, not one, not midnight. This is five 206 00:10:36,200 --> 00:10:39,240 Speaker 1: in the morning. People are waking up at this time, Jim. 207 00:10:39,440 --> 00:10:44,280 Speaker 2: Are these guys on bucks out the front deliveries being made? 208 00:10:44,600 --> 00:10:47,000 Speaker 1: And then they go through the side door while these 209 00:10:47,040 --> 00:10:50,480 Speaker 1: two primary school aged kids sleep. I think they have 210 00:10:50,520 --> 00:10:53,360 Speaker 1: a nine year old and a twelve year old. So 211 00:10:53,400 --> 00:10:57,720 Speaker 1: they're inside sleeping, and they drummage around the alleged defenders. 212 00:10:57,720 --> 00:11:01,600 Speaker 1: They find car keys to two vehicles, shows them they 213 00:11:01,640 --> 00:11:03,920 Speaker 1: back out one and the one parked on the street 214 00:11:03,920 --> 00:11:06,040 Speaker 1: off that goes and they were in and out within 215 00:11:06,080 --> 00:11:10,480 Speaker 1: five minutes and two cars gone, a luxury handbag gone, 216 00:11:10,600 --> 00:11:14,000 Speaker 1: a wallet gone, and the nine year old girl's piggybank 217 00:11:14,600 --> 00:11:16,800 Speaker 1: was ransacked for ninety five dollars. 218 00:11:17,120 --> 00:11:21,800 Speaker 2: A piggy bank was ransacked. It's ugly stuff, really, and 219 00:11:21,880 --> 00:11:23,839 Speaker 2: you know, we can make bad jokes about it, but 220 00:11:23,880 --> 00:11:31,120 Speaker 2: there's nothing funny about unarmed youth who's probably six foot 221 00:11:31,160 --> 00:11:34,320 Speaker 2: high and the old with a machete that could cut 222 00:11:34,559 --> 00:11:39,080 Speaker 2: literally cut someone's head off, or a limbo cut an 223 00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:42,640 Speaker 2: arm off, coming into a house to pinch a car 224 00:11:42,640 --> 00:11:43,719 Speaker 2: on a piggy bank and a. 225 00:11:43,640 --> 00:11:47,320 Speaker 1: Few things ninety five dollars worth in notes and coins. 226 00:11:47,559 --> 00:11:50,439 Speaker 2: I know we've discussed this before another time, but motivation. 227 00:11:50,960 --> 00:11:54,199 Speaker 2: You've got people who are taking cars. There's a thrill 228 00:11:54,679 --> 00:11:56,920 Speaker 2: component of this. They want to drive cars fast and 229 00:11:57,240 --> 00:12:00,400 Speaker 2: record it. But also for a lot of them point 230 00:12:00,440 --> 00:12:02,920 Speaker 2: that they can sell it on to other crooks who 231 00:12:02,960 --> 00:12:06,400 Speaker 2: do other things with them, and the handbags and so forth. 232 00:12:06,400 --> 00:12:08,800 Speaker 2: It's a way to keep themselves in petty cash. 233 00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:12,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, so they can sell them on things like Facebook Marketplace. 234 00:12:12,720 --> 00:12:15,960 Speaker 1: Some would sell them to drug dealers in replace for 235 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:20,480 Speaker 1: some gear. Some offenders would use those vehicles to commit 236 00:12:20,520 --> 00:12:24,079 Speaker 1: cigarette burglaries, which have really kicked off in Melbourne, specifically 237 00:12:24,160 --> 00:12:26,680 Speaker 1: the Southeast over the past six months. 238 00:12:26,760 --> 00:12:29,400 Speaker 2: Describe one of those your favorite cigarette burglary. 239 00:12:29,480 --> 00:12:31,840 Speaker 1: Oh, there's plenty of them, but they'll rock up to 240 00:12:31,920 --> 00:12:35,880 Speaker 1: a seven to eleven or a BP early hours of 241 00:12:35,920 --> 00:12:39,400 Speaker 1: the morning or eleven o'clock at night. Sometimes they're eight 242 00:12:39,440 --> 00:12:42,160 Speaker 1: o'clock at night, not even late, and they'll go out 243 00:12:42,160 --> 00:12:45,680 Speaker 1: in the eastern suburbs. They get hit really hard and 244 00:12:46,559 --> 00:12:49,080 Speaker 1: four of them will run in. One will jump the 245 00:12:49,080 --> 00:12:52,720 Speaker 1: counter and demand access to the smokes cupboard behind the jump, 246 00:12:53,120 --> 00:12:55,120 Speaker 1: and the poor attendant just had to put their hands 247 00:12:55,200 --> 00:12:57,440 Speaker 1: up and say, all right, go for your life. And 248 00:12:57,480 --> 00:13:01,160 Speaker 1: you see the footage of these teenagers. Off they go 249 00:13:01,200 --> 00:13:03,000 Speaker 1: with a big tray of smokes, dump it in the 250 00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:06,080 Speaker 1: boot out that's parked out the front near the bowsers, 251 00:13:06,400 --> 00:13:09,160 Speaker 1: and off they go. And they take those smokes and 252 00:13:09,200 --> 00:13:14,199 Speaker 1: I believe they can either sell those to some illicit stores. 253 00:13:14,520 --> 00:13:16,560 Speaker 1: Of course, this's a story for another day. 254 00:13:17,040 --> 00:13:21,280 Speaker 2: They've always been good currency cigarettes. You can always get 255 00:13:21,360 --> 00:13:23,800 Speaker 2: rid of them, sell them in pubs, sell them in 256 00:13:23,880 --> 00:13:26,680 Speaker 2: the illicit stores. They're great stuff and you get it 257 00:13:26,720 --> 00:13:29,559 Speaker 2: like a million bucks worth on a truck. They're extremely 258 00:13:29,760 --> 00:13:30,640 Speaker 2: valuable for their weight. 259 00:13:30,800 --> 00:13:31,280 Speaker 1: Yeah. 260 00:13:31,600 --> 00:13:35,560 Speaker 2: Look, obviously cars are a big driver for these good word, 261 00:13:35,880 --> 00:13:38,520 Speaker 2: big driver for these guys. They want the thrill of 262 00:13:38,640 --> 00:13:42,400 Speaker 2: getting the luxury car, the fast car, the better car 263 00:13:42,640 --> 00:13:45,599 Speaker 2: than the mate, stole, all that sort of stuff. The 264 00:13:45,800 --> 00:13:49,680 Speaker 2: basic sort of thing to do. But is there a 265 00:13:49,720 --> 00:13:52,200 Speaker 2: destination for some of these cars. What happens to most 266 00:13:52,240 --> 00:13:52,560 Speaker 2: of them. 267 00:13:52,760 --> 00:13:54,120 Speaker 1: A lot of them are dumped on the side of 268 00:13:54,160 --> 00:13:57,960 Speaker 1: the road. So they'll take a vehicle from maybe a 269 00:13:58,040 --> 00:14:02,079 Speaker 1: nice affluent suburban and it's a nice European high speed 270 00:14:02,440 --> 00:14:05,720 Speaker 1: luxury car and they think, oh, how good is this? 271 00:14:05,360 --> 00:14:08,200 Speaker 1: This will go like the Clappers, they'll take it down 272 00:14:08,200 --> 00:14:11,720 Speaker 1: to the Monash, the EastLink Peninsula links some of the favorites. 273 00:14:12,480 --> 00:14:15,240 Speaker 1: Just having a quick look at their social media activity, 274 00:14:15,520 --> 00:14:17,880 Speaker 1: you see that they like filming themselves on the Monash 275 00:14:18,520 --> 00:14:23,200 Speaker 1: fast speeds and the speedos rising one hundred and ninety one, 276 00:14:23,360 --> 00:14:27,720 Speaker 1: ninety five two two ten. It's just you don't know 277 00:14:27,880 --> 00:14:30,320 Speaker 1: cars can go that fast, but they do. And they're 278 00:14:30,320 --> 00:14:33,440 Speaker 1: filming with one hand on the steering wheel at one 279 00:14:33,480 --> 00:14:37,360 Speaker 1: hand with the phone, and it's just mind boggling how 280 00:14:37,560 --> 00:14:40,680 Speaker 1: they don't flip and roll this car and crash and 281 00:14:41,760 --> 00:14:44,800 Speaker 1: kill more innocent people. But that's the thrill that they 282 00:14:44,800 --> 00:14:47,400 Speaker 1: get out of it is going at these high speeds 283 00:14:47,960 --> 00:14:51,040 Speaker 1: and it's late at night, there aren't many cars on 284 00:14:51,040 --> 00:14:54,040 Speaker 1: the road, but they're flying two hundred and ten, two 285 00:14:54,120 --> 00:14:55,760 Speaker 1: hundred and twenty kilometers. 286 00:14:55,360 --> 00:14:58,200 Speaker 2: An hour more. A thing goes wrong. Yep, you're dead. 287 00:14:58,560 --> 00:15:02,080 Speaker 1: Small pothole and there's a few them around, yes, Or 288 00:15:02,400 --> 00:15:04,880 Speaker 1: if you get a little bump in the road at 289 00:15:04,880 --> 00:15:07,480 Speaker 1: that speed your toast you are. 290 00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:10,040 Speaker 2: Is there any sense that some of those cars are 291 00:15:10,080 --> 00:15:13,320 Speaker 2: going to vanish off the map and not be found 292 00:15:13,360 --> 00:15:16,400 Speaker 2: by the side of the road because they've gone on elsewhere, 293 00:15:16,400 --> 00:15:19,480 Speaker 2: They've gone into state, or they've been pulled apart for parts. 294 00:15:19,480 --> 00:15:21,360 Speaker 2: Are they going to chop shops? 295 00:15:21,840 --> 00:15:25,360 Speaker 1: So Victoria Police and we're not doing a puff piece 296 00:15:25,400 --> 00:15:27,320 Speaker 1: on them, but they do a really good job to 297 00:15:27,440 --> 00:15:31,760 Speaker 1: recover more than ninety four percent of vehicles stolen do 298 00:15:31,880 --> 00:15:35,800 Speaker 1: They under the Operation Trinity Banner and they're out there 299 00:15:35,880 --> 00:15:38,120 Speaker 1: every night doing some hard work. But more than ninety 300 00:15:38,120 --> 00:15:40,920 Speaker 1: four percent of cars are found within a few days 301 00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:44,520 Speaker 1: or weeks. Sure, they've been thrashed and beaten up and 302 00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:49,320 Speaker 1: flogged to the till there's no tomorrow, but they find 303 00:15:49,360 --> 00:15:51,840 Speaker 1: them parked in on the side of the road, you know, 304 00:15:51,880 --> 00:15:54,880 Speaker 1: in a residential street or a court until someone finally 305 00:15:55,200 --> 00:15:58,560 Speaker 1: reports it as suspicious vehicle parked out at the front 306 00:15:58,560 --> 00:15:59,080 Speaker 1: of my joint. 307 00:15:59,240 --> 00:16:02,920 Speaker 2: Okay, The story that strikes me is where do we 308 00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:05,640 Speaker 2: stand those who own the cars and where do they 309 00:16:05,680 --> 00:16:10,160 Speaker 2: stand with insurance because Okay, your car's been flogged, as 310 00:16:10,160 --> 00:16:13,520 Speaker 2: in flogged to death, you know, driven hard. They might 311 00:16:13,520 --> 00:16:16,720 Speaker 2: have jammed it in the second year and done you know, 312 00:16:17,160 --> 00:16:19,880 Speaker 2: eight thousand reefs or something. Yeah, when you know in 313 00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:22,320 Speaker 2: cars are never driven beyond about two and a half 314 00:16:22,320 --> 00:16:25,080 Speaker 2: thousand reefs, A lot of strain can be put on 315 00:16:25,120 --> 00:16:28,560 Speaker 2: a vehicle. What do insurers say about it? Are they 316 00:16:28,640 --> 00:16:31,760 Speaker 2: paying out? And is it causing premiums to go higher? 317 00:16:31,880 --> 00:16:32,880 Speaker 2: It must be an effect. 318 00:16:33,640 --> 00:16:36,440 Speaker 1: I don't believe they're are too generous in paying out. 319 00:16:36,800 --> 00:16:37,120 Speaker 2: They're not. 320 00:16:37,160 --> 00:16:39,520 Speaker 1: They're victims. So I know a few victims that have said, 321 00:16:39,560 --> 00:16:41,960 Speaker 1: I'm just going to sell the car now, cut my 322 00:16:42,040 --> 00:16:45,360 Speaker 1: losses and sell it for almost half the price of 323 00:16:45,360 --> 00:16:47,360 Speaker 1: what I bought it for because I know it's been 324 00:16:47,400 --> 00:16:51,720 Speaker 1: flogged for twelve hours and they've done four hunderd kys 325 00:16:51,760 --> 00:16:55,880 Speaker 1: in it just flying, And he says, it's not the 326 00:16:55,920 --> 00:16:59,280 Speaker 1: same car anymore. I'm going to sell it. And something else. 327 00:16:59,360 --> 00:17:02,160 Speaker 2: Is there a sense it's now that it's no longer theirs. 328 00:17:01,920 --> 00:17:03,040 Speaker 1: That it has been dirty? 329 00:17:03,080 --> 00:17:06,320 Speaker 2: Dirty? Yeah, they say that about burglaries. People feel that 330 00:17:06,400 --> 00:17:09,680 Speaker 2: their house has been breached by others and they don't 331 00:17:09,680 --> 00:17:10,639 Speaker 2: want to stay there, you know. 332 00:17:10,840 --> 00:17:13,240 Speaker 1: And these people don't care about the interior of a car. 333 00:17:13,320 --> 00:17:17,680 Speaker 1: They spill drinks in there, they do drugs in there. 334 00:17:17,680 --> 00:17:20,240 Speaker 1: Often there's drug residue on the inside that the police 335 00:17:20,280 --> 00:17:23,520 Speaker 1: have to sort of swarm and then clean as well. 336 00:17:23,680 --> 00:17:28,600 Speaker 1: You can't give it back with ice on the They 337 00:17:28,720 --> 00:17:32,040 Speaker 1: leave rubbish all over the place, or they throw your 338 00:17:32,080 --> 00:17:34,600 Speaker 1: personal belongings out the window. It doesn't feel like your 339 00:17:34,640 --> 00:17:35,280 Speaker 1: car anymore. 340 00:17:35,760 --> 00:17:40,400 Speaker 2: Okay, Yeah, interesting psychological thing there. Even if you could 341 00:17:40,480 --> 00:17:43,639 Speaker 2: clean it and drive it, you'd rather not, it's not 342 00:17:43,680 --> 00:17:45,680 Speaker 2: the same. Rather sell it down the line to somebody 343 00:17:45,720 --> 00:17:51,200 Speaker 2: else'll create a marketing bargain luxury cars at the other end. 344 00:17:51,920 --> 00:17:55,520 Speaker 2: Sometimes they say they used to be sneaking them out, 345 00:17:55,800 --> 00:18:00,679 Speaker 2: luxury cars into containers and exporting them to sort of 346 00:18:00,760 --> 00:18:03,359 Speaker 2: black market states where they can sell them in the 347 00:18:03,400 --> 00:18:05,560 Speaker 2: Middle East and maybe parts of Europe. 348 00:18:06,240 --> 00:18:09,520 Speaker 1: I saw a Facebook marketplace at the other night, and 349 00:18:09,640 --> 00:18:11,560 Speaker 1: this bloke was trying to flog it, I think an 350 00:18:11,600 --> 00:18:14,239 Speaker 1: old commodore, well not even an old one that was 351 00:18:14,560 --> 00:18:17,800 Speaker 1: maybe ten years old, and he said three thousand dollars 352 00:18:17,880 --> 00:18:21,520 Speaker 1: cash if gone tonight. That was their post. And it 353 00:18:21,600 --> 00:18:25,200 Speaker 1: was very, very suspicious. I mean, some people need money fast, 354 00:18:25,200 --> 00:18:27,560 Speaker 1: but maybe not that fast. 355 00:18:27,800 --> 00:18:31,000 Speaker 2: Yes, that's interesting. Well, I know when you look up 356 00:18:31,240 --> 00:18:34,800 Speaker 2: VIC roads on the regio, there's now a service for 357 00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:38,800 Speaker 2: any registration plate you put in. It'll tell you all 358 00:18:38,840 --> 00:18:41,080 Speaker 2: about that car. You can find if you pay a 359 00:18:41,080 --> 00:18:44,959 Speaker 2: small fee, whether it's been stolen or not, all its history. 360 00:18:45,119 --> 00:18:49,200 Speaker 2: There's such a demand from the public for this that 361 00:18:49,920 --> 00:18:52,080 Speaker 2: VIC Grugs are now supplying this service. 362 00:18:52,400 --> 00:18:56,080 Speaker 1: People are onto it too. They're also onto the court lists, 363 00:18:56,520 --> 00:19:00,840 Speaker 1: and we see this popping up online of repair defenders. 364 00:19:00,880 --> 00:19:05,080 Speaker 1: Some vigilantes in the community will look up the Victorian 365 00:19:05,119 --> 00:19:08,320 Speaker 1: court lists and see when their favorite criminal is due 366 00:19:08,359 --> 00:19:11,600 Speaker 1: to a peer at a local manage. It's called so 367 00:19:11,720 --> 00:19:15,720 Speaker 1: they've really called on to where the movements of these 368 00:19:16,040 --> 00:19:16,800 Speaker 1: criminals A. 369 00:19:16,880 --> 00:19:18,760 Speaker 2: Good a bit of citizen sort of activity. 370 00:19:18,800 --> 00:19:19,119 Speaker 1: That's it. 371 00:19:19,440 --> 00:19:23,080 Speaker 2: Nothing wrong with that. The crooks are quite happy to 372 00:19:23,200 --> 00:19:26,680 Speaker 2: use the internet to further their own ends, so absolutely 373 00:19:26,840 --> 00:19:30,000 Speaker 2: it can be used against them, it has been said, 374 00:19:30,119 --> 00:19:33,439 Speaker 2: and it appeals to me and to most people. I 375 00:19:33,520 --> 00:19:36,879 Speaker 2: think if you are found with a weapon on somebody 376 00:19:36,880 --> 00:19:41,080 Speaker 2: else's premises, you don't get bail. A weapon equals jail. 377 00:19:41,680 --> 00:19:43,600 Speaker 2: You're locked up you're not out on the streets again 378 00:19:43,640 --> 00:19:46,719 Speaker 2: tomorrow to do it all again. That would seem to 379 00:19:46,720 --> 00:19:51,280 Speaker 2: me to be eminently fair and sensible because the danger. 380 00:19:51,560 --> 00:19:53,400 Speaker 2: You know, they're saying, we're putting them out on bail 381 00:19:53,440 --> 00:19:55,800 Speaker 2: because it's bad for them to be locked up with 382 00:19:55,840 --> 00:20:00,080 Speaker 2: other bad guys. True, there's no doubt that's true. But 383 00:20:00,560 --> 00:20:04,200 Speaker 2: there comes a point when the danger to other people 384 00:20:04,359 --> 00:20:05,000 Speaker 2: out weighs that. 385 00:20:05,119 --> 00:20:08,440 Speaker 1: Absolutely. The community at some point has to be protected 386 00:20:08,520 --> 00:20:12,120 Speaker 1: prioritized as well. No one wants to put kids in jails. 387 00:20:12,119 --> 00:20:14,520 Speaker 1: That's never a great outcome, is it that. 388 00:20:14,600 --> 00:20:19,240 Speaker 2: Unless they're carrying machetes and knives and possibly guns, then 389 00:20:19,320 --> 00:20:19,640 Speaker 2: you do. 390 00:20:19,800 --> 00:20:23,840 Speaker 1: And it's not a life sentence, it's not decades in present. 391 00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:26,800 Speaker 1: There has to be some consequences for your actions at 392 00:20:26,800 --> 00:20:29,440 Speaker 1: some point now some people, and it's a really good 393 00:20:29,520 --> 00:20:33,240 Speaker 1: argument to have with or a debate to have with people. Yes, 394 00:20:33,280 --> 00:20:36,480 Speaker 1: they're going to mix with other criminals inside it, whether 395 00:20:36,520 --> 00:20:39,080 Speaker 1: it's Parkville if they're young, or a bar and if 396 00:20:39,119 --> 00:20:43,240 Speaker 1: they're older, but there has to become a point where 397 00:20:43,280 --> 00:20:46,040 Speaker 1: the community safety needs to be prioritized. 398 00:20:46,200 --> 00:20:48,240 Speaker 2: It seems to me to be an element of false 399 00:20:48,560 --> 00:20:51,840 Speaker 2: logic in all that handringing sort of bleeding heart stuff, 400 00:20:52,200 --> 00:20:56,240 Speaker 2: because here we have youths who buy and large aren't 401 00:20:57,920 --> 00:21:01,080 Speaker 2: buy and large aren't solo offenders. They're going around with 402 00:21:01,240 --> 00:21:04,560 Speaker 2: other ears. They're already in gangs. They're already rubbing shoulders 403 00:21:04,640 --> 00:21:07,840 Speaker 2: with other crooks, and they've already learned the bad habits. 404 00:21:07,920 --> 00:21:11,800 Speaker 2: So is it that bad if you know, three guys 405 00:21:11,800 --> 00:21:14,320 Speaker 2: in this gang go and get banged up for six 406 00:21:14,359 --> 00:21:17,160 Speaker 2: months or four months or three months. They're already living 407 00:21:17,160 --> 00:21:18,879 Speaker 2: in some sharehouse somewhere. 408 00:21:19,640 --> 00:21:22,560 Speaker 1: A lot of the kids who are committing these sorts 409 00:21:22,600 --> 00:21:25,879 Speaker 1: of crimes are living in residential care, so under the 410 00:21:25,920 --> 00:21:29,840 Speaker 1: state's care, they live together. They come and go as 411 00:21:29,840 --> 00:21:33,600 Speaker 1: they please. You obviously can't lock them up inside residential care, 412 00:21:33,640 --> 00:21:37,439 Speaker 1: so they can leave the residents and they reported missing, 413 00:21:37,480 --> 00:21:39,800 Speaker 1: but they'll go for days on end, they'll meet up 414 00:21:39,800 --> 00:21:43,040 Speaker 1: with whoever they really want, and who knows what they 415 00:21:43,040 --> 00:21:45,160 Speaker 1: get up to in the three or four days while 416 00:21:45,160 --> 00:21:45,639 Speaker 1: they're out. 417 00:21:46,320 --> 00:21:49,960 Speaker 2: What is your view, and I'm imagining that you would 418 00:21:49,960 --> 00:21:52,080 Speaker 2: base it on what police have told you, police that 419 00:21:52,119 --> 00:21:55,200 Speaker 2: are right at the front line of this, on where 420 00:21:55,280 --> 00:21:59,360 Speaker 2: drugs fit into this, with drug use that alters behavior, 421 00:21:59,640 --> 00:22:03,640 Speaker 2: and so the keenness to obtain more drugs, which also 422 00:22:03,680 --> 00:22:06,880 Speaker 2: have influences behavior. It makes you more desperate to do stuff. 423 00:22:07,320 --> 00:22:08,280 Speaker 2: Is that A big. 424 00:22:08,119 --> 00:22:11,600 Speaker 1: Element from my experience is when we're talking youth criminals, 425 00:22:11,600 --> 00:22:14,840 Speaker 1: it's not a massive cohort of it. Yes, there are 426 00:22:14,880 --> 00:22:17,160 Speaker 1: some that are heavily addicted to ice, and I spoke 427 00:22:17,200 --> 00:22:20,400 Speaker 1: to someone whose son has been on ICE for five 428 00:22:20,440 --> 00:22:25,000 Speaker 1: months and he's midway through his teens. That's as bad 429 00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:30,000 Speaker 1: as it gets. Pretty much. Some will go and smoke 430 00:22:30,359 --> 00:22:33,199 Speaker 1: some marijuana with some friends, which some would say is 431 00:22:33,240 --> 00:22:36,199 Speaker 1: on the lesser end of the scale, and that's not 432 00:22:36,320 --> 00:22:40,119 Speaker 1: the driver of their offending. I think the driver is 433 00:22:40,240 --> 00:22:43,320 Speaker 1: just mainly the thrill of it. Yes, there is an 434 00:22:43,359 --> 00:22:47,560 Speaker 1: element of selling vehicles and handbags and clothes for some 435 00:22:48,600 --> 00:22:52,760 Speaker 1: harder illicit drugs, but I wouldn't say most or even 436 00:22:52,840 --> 00:22:55,400 Speaker 1: majority of them. I think it's really the thrill of 437 00:22:55,440 --> 00:22:55,960 Speaker 1: the chase. 438 00:22:56,400 --> 00:23:00,280 Speaker 2: It's strange that we have this outbreak of behavior, almost 439 00:23:00,280 --> 00:23:02,520 Speaker 2: as if it's viral, you know, it's spread from one 440 00:23:02,560 --> 00:23:06,240 Speaker 2: of the other. And I presume that every generation has 441 00:23:06,480 --> 00:23:10,840 Speaker 2: examples of similar stuff. After probably after World War Two, 442 00:23:11,680 --> 00:23:15,800 Speaker 2: we had baby boomer youths turn up in numbers because 443 00:23:16,280 --> 00:23:18,000 Speaker 2: their parents had a lot of kids, and I can 444 00:23:18,080 --> 00:23:22,480 Speaker 2: remember gangs of skinheads and sharpies and all the rest 445 00:23:22,480 --> 00:23:25,239 Speaker 2: of it roaming around doing bad stuff. So it's not 446 00:23:25,280 --> 00:23:29,520 Speaker 2: as if errant youth and juvenile delinquents there are anything new. 447 00:23:30,320 --> 00:23:32,560 Speaker 2: And probably you could trace that all the way back 448 00:23:32,600 --> 00:23:37,240 Speaker 2: to the colonial era, where we had bush rangers and 449 00:23:37,320 --> 00:23:41,800 Speaker 2: alaricans and lauts and layobouts running around the streets dishing 450 00:23:41,840 --> 00:23:44,160 Speaker 2: it out, you know, with bricks and boots, as old 451 00:23:44,200 --> 00:23:49,320 Speaker 2: poem went. So it's tempting to think that this is 452 00:23:49,840 --> 00:23:53,920 Speaker 2: new and awful, and yet in some way it's probably 453 00:23:54,000 --> 00:23:56,760 Speaker 2: happened every twenty or thirty years in some sort of 454 00:23:56,760 --> 00:23:59,360 Speaker 2: wave motion. I hope that's true. 455 00:24:00,200 --> 00:24:04,680 Speaker 1: I hate blaming COVID for things It was really prevalent 456 00:24:05,119 --> 00:24:07,879 Speaker 1: four or five years ago for some of us, and 457 00:24:07,920 --> 00:24:10,560 Speaker 1: I think it's a cop out for some to blame 458 00:24:10,600 --> 00:24:13,679 Speaker 1: COVID and the lockdowns for some things. I just spoke 459 00:24:13,720 --> 00:24:19,000 Speaker 1: to four mothers of teenage offenders in the suburbs and 460 00:24:19,040 --> 00:24:20,920 Speaker 1: they all had one thing in common, and they said, 461 00:24:20,960 --> 00:24:23,199 Speaker 1: I don't want to blame COVID. I really don't, but 462 00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:26,720 Speaker 1: my son or daughter was locked up inside for so 463 00:24:26,920 --> 00:24:29,400 Speaker 1: long and they had so many rules and regulations around them. 464 00:24:29,640 --> 00:24:32,119 Speaker 1: And once they got out, that was great, but then 465 00:24:32,160 --> 00:24:35,600 Speaker 1: they just went nuts. They wanted to see everything. They 466 00:24:35,640 --> 00:24:37,840 Speaker 1: wanted to hang out at all times of the day 467 00:24:37,840 --> 00:24:40,479 Speaker 1: and night. They wanted to meet all these new people. 468 00:24:40,800 --> 00:24:44,000 Speaker 1: They didn't want any structure in their life anymore. They 469 00:24:44,040 --> 00:24:47,199 Speaker 1: didn't return to community sport. They didn't want to go 470 00:24:47,240 --> 00:24:49,280 Speaker 1: to basketball at four o'clock, they didn't want to go 471 00:24:49,280 --> 00:24:52,120 Speaker 1: to cricket at nine o'clock on Saturday. They don't live hard, 472 00:24:52,200 --> 00:24:54,840 Speaker 1: live fast. They were sick of being told what to do, 473 00:24:54,960 --> 00:24:57,800 Speaker 1: and they just quote went nuts. 474 00:24:57,840 --> 00:24:59,840 Speaker 2: It sort of ruined the structure in their lives by 475 00:25:00,040 --> 00:25:02,520 Speaker 2: having too much of it. Yeah, they've been imprisoned in 476 00:25:02,600 --> 00:25:03,000 Speaker 2: a sense. 477 00:25:03,080 --> 00:25:07,200 Speaker 1: And I don't like blaming that for everything. I mean, 478 00:25:07,320 --> 00:25:09,880 Speaker 1: a lot of people will blame it, but I think 479 00:25:10,160 --> 00:25:12,439 Speaker 1: I think it's a fair and reason argument. This time. 480 00:25:12,680 --> 00:25:16,200 Speaker 2: It's easy to forget for anybody that's an adult, formed 481 00:25:16,240 --> 00:25:19,080 Speaker 2: adult that's over the age of twenty five or something, 482 00:25:19,280 --> 00:25:22,360 Speaker 2: to forget what it's like to not be twenty five 483 00:25:22,480 --> 00:25:25,560 Speaker 2: or thirty five or forty five, to be fourteen, fifteen 484 00:25:25,600 --> 00:25:30,240 Speaker 2: and sixteen is it's a goat's head soup of hormones 485 00:25:30,280 --> 00:25:33,200 Speaker 2: and all the rest of it, peer pressure, the biological 486 00:25:33,240 --> 00:25:36,280 Speaker 2: imperative to run around with other kids the same age, 487 00:25:36,359 --> 00:25:40,760 Speaker 2: all that stuff which was suppressed for you know, essentially 488 00:25:40,760 --> 00:25:43,320 Speaker 2: a couple of years, which is a massive amount of 489 00:25:43,400 --> 00:25:46,600 Speaker 2: time for people that age. I thought it was sort 490 00:25:46,640 --> 00:25:49,280 Speaker 2: of a nice chance not to go into work. But 491 00:25:49,359 --> 00:25:52,320 Speaker 2: I'm not the problem. No, it's a problem when you've 492 00:25:52,359 --> 00:25:56,960 Speaker 2: got kids that age basically cooped up. Looking at the 493 00:25:57,000 --> 00:26:00,000 Speaker 2: offenders as groups of people, do you see any particular 494 00:26:00,320 --> 00:26:03,840 Speaker 2: trends or groups or you know, even male versus female. 495 00:26:03,880 --> 00:26:05,320 Speaker 2: Are there many girls involved? 496 00:26:06,080 --> 00:26:09,119 Speaker 1: Well, I think they're becoming increasingly involved in this, and 497 00:26:09,160 --> 00:26:12,040 Speaker 1: this purely because of what the police will tell us 498 00:26:12,240 --> 00:26:15,680 Speaker 1: who they've arrested. And we just sort of notice an 499 00:26:15,720 --> 00:26:19,399 Speaker 1: increase in the amount of young girls being caught up 500 00:26:19,440 --> 00:26:22,480 Speaker 1: in aig bergs and home invasions and car thefs and 501 00:26:22,880 --> 00:26:26,000 Speaker 1: cigarette burglaries and things like that, and now I guess 502 00:26:26,040 --> 00:26:29,160 Speaker 1: just joining in on the fun with everyone else. So yeah, 503 00:26:29,200 --> 00:26:33,080 Speaker 1: it's pretty worrying that fourteen fifteen, sixteen year olds of 504 00:26:33,400 --> 00:26:35,840 Speaker 1: both genders are being sort of caught up in this. 505 00:26:35,920 --> 00:26:39,440 Speaker 1: Now it's not just the young rap back boys, it's 506 00:26:39,600 --> 00:26:40,879 Speaker 1: young girl. That's it. 507 00:26:41,359 --> 00:26:44,919 Speaker 2: That's an interesting trend, although I guess probably if we 508 00:26:45,000 --> 00:26:47,080 Speaker 2: go back in history, the skinheads and all the rest 509 00:26:47,080 --> 00:26:50,439 Speaker 2: of it, there always were girls around the edges or 510 00:26:51,240 --> 00:26:54,160 Speaker 2: front and center, some of them sometimes. So Reagan, you're 511 00:26:54,200 --> 00:26:56,080 Speaker 2: going to go now and you're going to go back 512 00:26:56,119 --> 00:27:00,720 Speaker 2: and work on Suburbs under Siege, which is the Heralds campaign. 513 00:27:01,080 --> 00:27:03,600 Speaker 2: Some of our listeners when they hear this, so that 514 00:27:03,600 --> 00:27:06,360 Speaker 2: that campaign will be sort of over, but you can 515 00:27:06,400 --> 00:27:10,040 Speaker 2: guarantee that the offending won't be over. So the story 516 00:27:10,240 --> 00:27:13,439 Speaker 2: lives on and you, Reagan Hodge, are going to be 517 00:27:13,480 --> 00:27:16,800 Speaker 2: working on it with your colleagues. We will here in 518 00:27:17,040 --> 00:27:21,159 Speaker 2: that corner of the Herald Sun newsroom that's always really busy. 519 00:27:21,520 --> 00:27:23,240 Speaker 1: It's always busy in that part of the room. 520 00:27:23,359 --> 00:27:30,560 Speaker 2: Crime never sleeps. Thanks for listening. Life and Crimes is 521 00:27:30,560 --> 00:27:34,720 Speaker 2: a Sunday Herald Sun production for true crime Australia. Our 522 00:27:34,760 --> 00:27:39,000 Speaker 2: producer is Johnty Burton. For my columns, features and more, 523 00:27:39,160 --> 00:27:44,800 Speaker 2: go to Haroldsun dot com dot au, forward slash Andrew 524 00:27:44,960 --> 00:27:50,320 Speaker 2: rule one word For advertising inquiries, go to news podcasts 525 00:27:50,960 --> 00:27:54,920 Speaker 2: sold at news dot com dot au. 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