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Australian police - Source: Reuters -
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ONE News Australia correspondent Steve Marshall says drive-by shootings have soured Sydney's New Year.
Well, 2012 certainly has gone off with a bang....actually make that several bangs. A dramatic rise in drive-by shootings in Sydney's South-West in recent weeks has driven police to form a 900 strong operational force to try and curb the violence.
Google 'Sydney drive-by shooting' and prepare yourself for a barrage of stories. At the time of writing, no less than 14 drive-by shootings had occurred in Sydney since the turn of the New Year. Quiet suburban streets lit up in the middle of the night by bullets and shot gun pellets ripping through house walls and windows by smoking gun muzzles from passing cars.
Alarmingly, there have been more than 50 drive-by shootings in Sydney's South-West over the past 12 months. Police say Bikie and Middle Eastern crime gangs are mainly to blame, fighting over turf, drugs and money. However the Constabulary has only made just the one arrest so far.
The problem for Police is the 'wall of silence' being put up by victims and witnesses who are not willing to shed light on who might be targeting them. Some are just plain scared while others are involved in crime themselves, according to Police.
The lack of co-operation has spurred the New South Wales Government to give the Crime Commission tough coercive powers that will allow Police to haul in a string of suspects for questioning over the drive-by shootings that are terrorising Sydney residents.
The wide ranging powers allow Police to jail witnesses who refuse to talk. Assets, such as houses and cars can also be seized from people suspected of being involved in drive-by shootings; forcing the accused person to prove to court they were legally obtained.
Authorities hope the wide ranging powers will help smash through the wall of silence which has frustrated investigators so far.
Read more Steve Marshall opinion
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