Macquarie street would probably top the list as the most opulent address in Sydney. Not only does it house the building where this state's parliament sits, but our most famous medical specialists proudly have their consulting rooms along this street - and upper crust apartments cost a fortune.
This week it also became the scene of a gun battle when a member of a leading crime family survived an assassination attempt by two gunmen. Several shots were fired and one bullet lodged in the victim's shoulder. He is being treated in hospital and the wound is not considered life threatening.
Hollywood made a fortune from the battles between Al Capone's gang and the Chicago police. Crime movies drew big audiences all through the "Depression "years, and they still do today. Only the villains change - to keep up with the times. "The Godfather "series portrayed the Mafia in America and today the genre has changed again - to terrorists.
What doesn't change is the ongoing battle to tear down and replace whoever is "King "of the city crime empire. In this city, that "Kingdom " revolves around Kings Cross and it's nightclubs and gambling joints. Sometimes the supremo is a single individual who has risen to the top of the heap, and at present it is a "family "whose head is ably supported by several brothers. Whenever they travel, they are usually surrounded by a posse of "minders "who serve as bodyguards.
Our chief gangster is also a celebrity. He is stalked by the media and he is usually on first name terms with senior police. Usually there is an "understanding " that the criminals will maintain a code of conduct when conducting their affairs so as to not alarm the public. Occasionally, excesses occur when less sophisticated rivals try their hand at violence - as evidenced by this unsuccessful attempted assassination.
Unfortunately, it is now inevitable that there will be retribution. This has been one of several similar attacks on the crime family presently controlling Kings Cross and it can not go unchallenged. Most likely the victim will maintain silence and give the police no help in identifying his attacker, but the "foot soldiers " will be tasked with delivering a message to those responsible. Most likely, the outcome will be a body on a street somewhere in this city.
From a policing point of view keeping the dialogue between law enforcement and crime on a civil level is very important. The city crime boss rules his troops with a rod of iron and the first aim of any criminal enterprise is to keep the profits rolling in without interruption. That is possible only if crime and policing exist within a tight framework of rules that both strictly obey.
One ambitious competitor to the crime crown has been smashed by police. This gang wore it's name on their T shirts and was open with it's ambitions. One by one it's members were taken down, but not before violence on a grand scale created newspaper headlines and alarmed the public. Now it seems that another competitor is seeking that elusive crown and we may again have a period of violence during the sorting out process.
There will always be crime in this city - and there will always be a strong person in charge of that crime. Crime is big business and we constantly see cash money amounting to millions changing hands - and buying favours that impede successful policing. The best we can hope for is that the balance can be maintained so that violence does not spill over and harm innocent people.
At present, the people in charge of crime here are relatively "civilized ". It is best if the police aim to keep it this way and keep violent competitors at bay.
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