Hume crime gang violence has increased
POLICE say they have stepped up efforts to tackle a notorious family crime gang operating in Hume following a series of shootings in the past couple of weeks. Det Supt Richard Grant, head of Operation Lased, a taskforce set up last October to halt the gang, conceded police were premature with their recent decision to scale down the taskforce's operations following a series of arrests. "At least one of these people have been released on bail after a three-day contested bail hearing," Det Supt Grant said. "Since this person has been back out the violence has increased and our response to that has been an increase in the number of patrols."We now have in place a strategic plan which we are confident will reduce the crime."On Thursday last week, police arrested two men over the shooting of a man in Gladstone Park on April 9.Police say the victim was a known associate of the crime familyA 26-year-old Port Melbourne man and a 35-year-old man from an unknown addre...