Crime taskforce shut down, VIC

August 3, 2008

THE State Government shut down an influential advisory committee on crime because it was too critical of Government policy, according to a former top policeman.

Bob Falconer, a former deputy commissioner of Victoria Police and chief commissioner in Western Australia, says the Victorian Community Council on Crime and Violence was disbanded "strangely and unceremoniously" after it was about to launch a campaign to educate young people on the dangers of carrying weapons...

"Knife crime is a huge issue, both empirical and anecdotal evidence support that," he said.

"We thought we were on the cusp of getting something done then 'bang', we were just shut down...

Mr Falconer said he had been critical of the Government both publicly and privately in the way it was "dragging its feet" on dealing with the issue of young people carrying knives, which he said was one of the biggest problems facing Melbourne's teenagers today.