Taskforce responds to latest African-Australian crime figures

The head of the African-Australian Community Taskforce says there’s no quick fix to the over-representation of Sudanese-born people in Victorian crime.

According to the most recent figures, Sudanese-born people were 67 times more likely to be charged with aggravated robbery and 55 times more likely to be charged with riot and affray.

Those rates were both lower this time last year.

Victoria Police assured Neil Mitchell that was because increased resources and scrutiny led to more arrests being made.

Acting Commander Murray Fraser said there was “clearly” an over-representation in crime rates, but the answer was prevention.

“I’m actually out at Melton at the moment at an African student summit and I see the kids there who have got the same aspirations my kids had at school,” he said.

“A lot of the issues facing them are the same as other kids.

“Family violence has an impact, drugs have an impact, worrying about getting into the job market is having an impact.

“There’s obviously some unique challenges, as well, in terms of how they’re perceived and how they perceive themselves.

“All the work that we can do, I think, in this problem is in the prevention space.”

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