'We're fed up': Patriot group hit back at Melbourne street gangs 'terrorising' communities

A vigilante style group has taken to Melbourne’s CBD in an effort to protect residents from the rising level of street crime.

The Soldiers of Odin have been spotted conducting “safety patrols” around Federation Square, Birrarung Marr, Bourke Street Mall and various outer city train stations in response to the notorious Apex Gang “terrorising” streets.

"We're fed up and our communities are fed up," group president Jay B Moore told The Age.

"We're going where Apex and other gangs are popping up and causing trouble.

"The kind of violence we are seeing on the streets is not something our culture is used to. Our main goal is to make and keep our streets safe. We stand for old-school Aussie values."

Founded in Finland, divisions of the group now reside all over the world.

While the group’s manifesto lists itself as “anti-Islam” and “anti immigration”, the self-proclaimed “patriot” group said their street patrols were not racially motivated and that their policy was to inform police if they came across any incident.

"A big part of what we do is about having a visual presence – being proactive. As long as we've deterred anything from happening, that's good," Mr Moore said.

"We're not going to turn a blind eye to anyone."

With more than 100 members across divisions in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide, the group reportedly consists of former military personnel, ex-bikie club members, office workers and labourers.

In July this year, police arrested 13 Apex-linked teenagers after they allegedly pounced on a St Albans family while they were in their car in Melbourne's west.

"The city doesn't need that kind of intimidatory appearance or punitive approach on the streets,” Salvation Army Major Brendan Nottle said.

“I’ve never come across anything like this before in Melbourne.”

Despite the intentions of the vigilante gang not everyone feels safer with a group of uniformed men patrolling the streets in large numbers.

Chief Police Commissioner Graham Ashton warned of the dangers associated with vigilantism and said it was best left to the police.

"We're concerned for their safety when they go out with that sort of intent," he said in July.

"We'd rather they worked with us in reporting things that they see rather than actively trying to intervene in things they are seeing."

Top news stories - October 10