Australian state proposes tougher penalties for organized crime violence
Australia’s state of New South Wales has proposed strengthening legislation against violence linked to organized crime. In particular, minors accused of public shootings, crimes involving incendiary devices, or other acts connected to organized crime could be tried in higher courts. If convicted, they could face adult penalties, ABC News Australia reports.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns announced the package of proposed changes amid a police investigation into two shootings in Sydney. Last week, university student Marco Tapia and 40-year-old Joshua Macdonald were killed in separate incidents. Police suspect that the victims may have been mistakenly identified in both cases.
Life imprisonment for conspiracy and attempted murder
The legislative changes provide for new aggravated offences for conspiracy to commit murder and attempted murder. The maximum penalty for such offences is proposed to be increased from 25 years in prison to life imprisonment.
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Authorities also plan to introduce temporary orders that would allow urgent restrictions on a person’s whereabouts, contacts, and access to devices before the state Supreme Court makes a full decision.
Recruitment of young people and technology for police
Previously, New South Wales police said that members of the criminal underworld who had left the country were recruiting young people to commit murders and other violent crimes. Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said that some children were being hired for such acts for very small sums of money and urged parents and community members to report to police young people who are in contact with criminals.
Separately, the state government intends to invest $15 million in expanding the police’s technological capabilities to counter criminal networks that use encrypted devices and digital platforms for communication. The 2026–2027 New South Wales budget allocated $126 million to modernize the police response to crimes committed by the criminal underworld.
