A new level of violence !

Police are concerned at the emergence of a gang of young men in south western Sydney who seem to go on a rampage of senseless violence when they engage in random " home invasions ".    They seem to operate in the small hours of the morning, when residents are asleep in their beds - and they either knock on the door or break into homes and launch damaging physical attacks before stealing money and mobile phones.

The rewards are scant, but on each occasion they deliver physical damage by way of an axe, machete or similar weapon.   One victim was hit on the forehead with the back of an axe with such force that surgeons were required to remove part of his skull.   Others received deep cuts from machete strokes, despite offering no resistance.   It seems that the gang get their kicks out of the fear and physical damage they can inflict and the items they steal are simply incidental.

It seems inevitable that if this continues it will eventually cause the death of a victim.   Descriptions are vague because they wear hooded jackets, but it is thought that some of the intruders are of Pacific Islander appearance and others seem to be eastern European.   On one occasion a hand gun was produced and police believe that this may be the same gang that has held up local businesses in the Aurburn area.

This gang seems to comprise about six teenagers or young adults and there is a very real risk that this pursuit of senseless violence may be fuelling a competitive culture.   There is a growing level of violence that could be associated with competition to be the gang leader and this disregard for consequences makes an escalation of physical assault increasingly dangerous.

The fact that the gang enjoy inflicting pain and injury in greater measure than the monetary rewards of their raids is a sobering thought.   It could indicate a mental condition that leads to the sort of atrocities that brought the Charles Manson gang in the United States to world prominence.The emergence of a gang leader with homicidal tendencies could bring the start of a similar horrifying crime wave.

There is no pattern to these random home invasions and they will be difficult to predict.  It seems to be a defence of beefing up home security - and not responding to a knock on the door without establishing the identity of the caller.   When the slightest doubt exists, don't open the door. - call the cops !

Relief from the summer heat by leaving a window slightly open is no longer an option either.  The random nature of these home invasions spreads the risk to all members of society - in all age groups and both genders.

Fore warned is fore armed - and home owners should remember that robbery is not the prime motive for these crimes.    The objective seems to be to inflict major physical injury to innocent victims.

A very good reason to take home security to new heights !