Experts have backed a retired bikie's view that anti-consorting laws in the ACT would not stop gang violence, saying they had not worked elsewhere in Australia.

Key points: A former bikie, who was one of the first to be charged under NSW's anti-consorting laws, says they stop bikies from hanging out in public but do nothing to stop the secret planning of crime

A former bikie, who was one of the first to be charged under NSW's anti-consorting laws, says they stop bikies from hanging out in public but do nothing to stop the secret planning of crime Criminologists say the laws are ineffective and distract from finding actual solutions

Criminologists say the laws are ineffective and distract from finding actual solutions But experts say they would at least stop bikies form visiting the nation's capital during national runs

But they believed they would at least stop bikies visiting the capital on national runs.

Bikie brawls, shootings, and fire-bombings have become common on Canberra's streets as inter-gang violence has escalated.

But the response has been stuck in a divisive political loop, with the ACT Opposition saying only tough anti-consorting laws could protect the community from what had become a "bikie safe haven", while the ACT Government believes the laws would breach human rights.

Anti-consorting laws make it an offence to hang out or speak with habitual criminals, or other people deemed to be dangerous or dissolute, whether in public, private or online.

The laws are in place just across the border in New South Wales, where speaking to two or more convicted criminals on several occasions, after receiving a warning by police, is punishable by imprisonment.

But the laws have come under fire interstate for their alleged misuse, ineffectiveness and exploitation of the vulnerable.

'They ruined my life'

Nomads life member and retired bikie, Mohammed "Moudi" Tajjour, and his brother Sleiman Tajjour, were among the first bikies in NSW to be prosecuted with the state's anti-consorting laws.

He was convicted and sentenced to a good behaviour order.

The former Nomads president now runs a podcast on some of Australia's colourful characters.

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Mr Tajjour admitted the tough bikie laws had "ruined" his life, but said it had little impact on organised crime.

"[Regarding] the actual criminals on the streets of this country, it didn't change a single thing ... I don't see no sophisticated organised criminals getting on their phone, going out in public, and talking about crimes," he said.

"They're doing it secretly, so nothing's changed in the aspect of ... organised crime. The only thing that's changed, is people like myself, who are law abiding citizens, can't live a good pleasant life.

"It ruined my life ... I can't do nothing, I can't go nowhere, they succeeded, they f***** me."

If anything, Mr Tajjour said it made criminals smarter.

He said criminals had instead gone "underground" and, as a result, the authorities were "less knowledgeable about who's who and who's not".

"It's made the dumb c**** become smart. It's led to a reduction of weak people joining [the gangs], not hard criminals," he said.

"They're the people you don't want anyway, they're the ones the police want to infiltrate gangs because when they get done, they roll, so if anything, the police just upper-cutted themselves."

Retired bikie Mohammed "Moudi" Tajjour poses with friends on Mount Ainslie. November, 2018. ( Instagram: cant_fight_fate )

Mr Tajjour — who visited Canberra last year for a Nomads run — argued the territory had not become a meeting place for organised crime conferences.

"Canberra's become the safe haven to have a beer with your mate ... [but] I don't think people are driving five hours to go talk about crimes where the police would 100 per cent have a surveillance team in place waiting for you to come in," he said.

"You wouldn't ride up with 300 boys, letting the police know they're coming there to talk about organised crime ... you've got to be a f***ing stupid criminal to do that."

But he did admit the introduction of anti-consorting laws in Canberra would stop gangs visiting on national runs.

Anti-consorting laws won't stop the violence

Two academics said the laws had mixed success interstate, and while they might prevent new clubs forming in Canberra, they would not be worth the money or stop inter-gang violence on Canberra's suburbs.

Associate Professor Mark Lauchs, from the Queensland University of Technology, said the real debate should be about what could stop the violence.

He said the biggest threat motorcycle gangs posed was not as organised crime, but the potential for collateral damage as a result of public vendetta.

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"This is a very different type of crime because this is traditional motorcycle club behaviour — it's what we call the war mentality, where clubs fight over territory," he said.

"You don't have to be an organised criminal to participate in this type of crime. You would find that approximately 10 per cent of club members in most clubs would have some involvement in serious crime, whether its drug crime, extortion or something like that, but you could have up to 100 per cent of people who are in a chapter participating in vendetta.

"We don't actually have a solution for the street violence [Canberra is] seeing because it still happens in jurisdictions where the anti-consorting laws already exist."

Only three people charged over 1,000 notices

Bond University criminologist Dr Terry Goldsworthy said anti-consorting had become "political window dressing", but actually led to lazy policing policy.

The retired senior police officer said enforcing anti-consorting laws required several steps, which included initial warnings before prosecution.

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As a result, more than 1,000 notices had been issued in Queensland, but only three people had been charged.

He said consorting offences in NSW and Queensland only carried a maximum three years imprisonment, so most people convicted would face a fine.

"There's a lot of resources going into something with very little outcome," he said.

"Whenever the bikies play up its good to go out and we've issued 1000 consorting notices, but ... what does that actually mean? How is that restricting criminal enterprise? How is that restricting those engaged in serious organised crime? You really never get an answer to that."

Bikie numbers had fallen in some jurisdictions where the laws are in place, such as South Australia and Queensland, where there were between 100 and 200 fewer bikies than a few years ago.

However, studies showed bikies had been responsible for just one per cent of organised crime in Queensland, and Dr Goldsworthy said focusing on such a small portion was problematic.

He said organised crime required long-term, difficult investigations.

"You'll find out in a couple of years that [consorting laws] are not the answer, but by then you've got to go back, and you've got a lot of ground to catch up," he said.

"You rely on them to solve organized crime problems and they simply won't. Does it stop these groups existing? No, it doesn't. Does it make life harder for them? Well, that's debatable. It fulfils legislation but is it fulfilling the purpose of legislation? I would argue not."

Only one piece of the puzzle, police say

ACT Policing's manager of criminal investigations Superintendent Scott Moller said anti-consorting laws would be an option for authorities, but did not think legislative change was the only option in fighting organised crime.

"There's a whole myriad of aspects of fighting organised crime and we need to utilise all other avenues," he said.

"We need to restrict the recruitment ... we need to look at arresting offenders."

ACT shadow attorney-general Jeremy Hanson last month tabled legislation in a second bid for Canberra to match interstate laws.

A NSW Ombudsman report in 2016 found the laws failed to target organised crime and instead been used to charge the vulnerable — such a Aboriginal people, children and the homeless — for minor crimes.