Police are searching for a number of young African men after two teens were attacked and two homes were broken into during a four-hour rampage in Melbourne's western suburbs overnight.

Victoria Police Commander Russell Barrett said the crimes were an example of "thuggish" behaviour, by "young people in our community who have no apparent care for the rights and wellbeing of their fellow citizens".

"It's clear to say a number of young men were involved in the offending," he said.

"It's hard for us at this stage to say whether they are linked, but certainly given the proximity of the addresses that's something we're working through."

Police said the crime spree began about 9:30pm on Thursday when a 17-year-old boy in Taylors Hill was ambushed and hit with what appeared to be a baseball bat after refusing a demand for his things.

The boy was then dragged along the ground before the offenders fled in the waiting car.

In a second incident two hours later, four males smashed a glass door at a house in Hillside before striking a 59-year-old woman and forcing her to sit in her front room, while ten other males ransacked her house.

"They slapped her across the face, she received cuts and bruising and property was stolen," Commander Barrett said.

Shortly afterwards a 16-year-old boy walking along the street was knocked to the ground and kicked and punched by a group of males in Cairnlea.

In the final incident, about 12:30am, three males smashed a window and broke into a home in Delahey, before being chased out when the occupants of the house armed themselves, police said.

'Horrendous offences'

An hour later, police said they gave chase to a stolen car believed to have been involved in the incidents.

The car was found a short time later crashed into a fence and power pole. The offenders ran off on foot.

No arrests have been made and no one was seriously injured in the crimes.

"One of the victims was taken to hospital but fortunately they were released this morning with only minor injuries — bruising and the like," Commander Barrett said.

"But these are horrendous offences, no member of our community should be a victim of these types of offences."

Pressure on African community

Crimes committed by young members of the African community in Melbourne have come to national attention this week, after federal Cabinet minister Greg Hunt said "African gang crime" was out of control in the city.

Commander Barrett said incidents like Thursday night's were concerning, but recent events did not necessarily mean the situation was getting worse.

"I wouldn't go as far as saying it's an escalation, but it's certainly a serious incident," he said.

"We're seeing offences across a range types of offending — some of it quite low level, the sort of behaviour you see from kids who are on holidays and get themselves in trouble.

"Others — as these offences are —are incredibly serious, incredibly harmful to the community, incredibly scary for those people involved."

African-Australian leaders in Melbourne called on their young people to stand up to rogue criminal elements of their community on Wednesday, after meeting to respond to growing concerns about street gangs.

Commander Barrett said the victims of last night's crimes had all described the offenders as "African youth".

"It places pressure on the broader African community and I think it's fortunate that a number of African community leaders have spoken out against some of the behaviours of young people in recent days," he said.

"But don't be mistaken, Victoria Police's view is that we will catch these offenders and lock them up."

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Commander Barrett said it was not yet clear if the string of incidents last night was organised or constituted "gang" crime.

But he said police were taking the issue crimes committed by groups of youths seriously, with a dedicated taskforce and an anti-gang squad focusing on it.

"Anyone who behaves in this type of manner presents a problem to the community, and as Victoria Police has called out in recent days, some of these young people are behaving in street gang behaviours," he said.

"We're not saying it's organised, but we're certainly saying they're behaving in street gang behaviours.

"I can't say at this stage of the investigation, or point to, an organised group of males involved in this incident, it's too early to say."