By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
APEX Street, Dandenong North, seems a world away from the brawls, car jackings and armed robberies linked to a street gang of the same name.
This tidy, quiet neighbourhood has few problems, apart from a household’s termite outbreak and a general water outage.
Residents who spoke to Star News are puzzled how the Apex Gang emerged.
The first they’d heard of the gang – and the link with their address – were news reports of the affrays that marred Moomba on 12 March.
Seyjohn Gunaratna said he hadn’t detected any “trouble” since he moved into the street six years ago. He’d once heard of a shop break-in several blocks away.
Danni Tabbaa was also oblivious to the street’s crime connection. She was particularly annoyed by the publicity’s timing, just as her family are trying to sell their unit.
“Hopefully our buyers don’t watch the news,” she said.
Greater Dandenong councillor John Kelly said residents – as well as a lot of good people in African communities – had been unfairly tarnished by the gang’s misdeeds.
It reminded Cr Kelly of the long-gone though still notorious 3175 gang, which named itself after Dandenong’s postcode.
“Generally (Apex Street) is a nice little street and the people there are good people.
“As residents we’re sick and tired of their brutality regardless of their nationalities and ages.”
Cr Kelly said one incident like the brawl could undo the council’s hard work to build a positive reputation for “our city”.
“If one is found guilty of these crimes they should pay the price for their action – heavier jail terms and even deportation.”
Police say the gang began with young South Sudanese people in Dandenong.
Its members have been charged with a fatal hit and run, car jackings, armed robberies and home burglaries in recent months.
A mass of arrests landed the gang’s ringleaders in Parkville juvenile detention late last year. They have since been released and the spates of car thefts and burglaries have started again.
In a blog on 16 March, Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said Apex broadened when it merged with another gang; its members crossed several ethnic groups.
Most members were born in Australia.
“But if people think their police are going soft on gangs because they are of one ethnic background or another, they are wrong.”
