From The Age in Melbourne, Australia:
Apex fears spark concerns about racial profilingTammy Mills and Bianca Hall
January 8, 2017
Deng Maleek pulled his car over beside the Neighbourhood Justice Centre in Collingwood.
The 26-year-old youth worker and legal educator from the Flemington Kensington Community Legal Centre was there for a meeting with police about building trust between Sudanese-Australians and local police, but as he pulled in a police patrol car intercepted him, and officers asked for his driver’s licence.
When he asked why, he says, they replied: “We just want to make sure the car belongs to you.”
The police waiting for him inside were incredulous. He just shrugged. “It’s pretty much an everyday experience for me,” he told them.
Young people from African backgrounds have reported for years they are racially profiled by police. But with public anxiety about the Apex gang rife, Sudanese-Australian community leaders say the problem is worsening.
“What I’m seeing is a growing number of people fed up with police stopping them because of their skin colour,” Mr Maleek said. …
Mr Crisp said key to this was having a more diverse police force. There are currently 119 employees of African background in Victoria Police, including almost 50 police officers.
Even they, he said, have been on the receiving end of prejudice. One young woman of Sudanese background told Mr Crisp of her experience travelling-in on the train to work.
“She feels like everyone is looking at her thinking she’s Apex,” he said. “There’s heightened sensitivity.”
Terrifying home invasions and car-jackings have increased at unprecedented rates across Melbourne, some committed by youths of African backgrounds.0.11% accounting for 13.9% of aggravated robberies?Crime Statistics Agency figures obtained by the ABC show youths born in Australia commit the most home invasions, car thefts and aggravated robberies.
But Sudanese youths were vastly over-represented in the 2015 data, responsible for 7.44 per cent of home invasions, 5.65 per cent of car thefts and 13.9 per cent of aggravated robberies, despite Sudanese-born citizens making up about 0.11 per cent of Victoria’s population.
Wow, just wow.
