Yesterday, the government funded ABC reported the reaction of unnamed people in Victoria’s justice department to a police presentation on Victoria’s gangs. The report was headed:

Victoria Police presentation on youth crime criticised for ‘racist’ focus on ‘African gangs’

‘The presentation,’ the ABC reporter wrote, ‘followed a three-day conference on gangs which had attracted law enforcement officers from America, England, Italy and New Zealand. Dozens of public servants from the Department of Justice and some from the premier’s department had been invited to take part.’

The unnamed people are ostensibly professionals in the area of juvenile violence. Sadly, their reaction, fulsomely described by the indignant female reporters, showed they were not suited to making dispassionate judgments on the (very) serious subject of youth and gang violence.

Here is a selection of the complaints made by the so-called professionals:

The presentation was ‘racist’ and focused on ‘African gangs’ …

‘The language, tone, and imagery … was very racist …

‘Attendees complained they should have been warned beforehand they would see “someone get stabbed to death”.’

Some staff were “disturbed”, “upset” and “extremely affected”.

The graphic content was “gratuitous”.

One attendee wondered about the “Unclear purpose of showing [this] video.”

The accusation of racism arose because of the graphic footage of African and South Sudanese gangs in action.

My advice to the unnamed fragile staff in Victoria’s justice department is that if they haven’t the stomach to face the reality of gang violence and the reality of the specific groups involved, they should get out of the department and find work more conducive to their precarious emotional makeup – and stop taking up wasted space.