PLANNED meetings between police and ethnic community leaders aimed at calming gang warfare in Parramatta have been put on hold because of the South Pacific earthquakes and tsunamis.

Police speak to a man after a fight in Parramatta. PICTURE: JOHN APPLEYARD

Police from Parramatta, Holroyd and Rosehill had planned to meet elders of the Pacific Islander and other ethnic communities in November to find out why some of their young people were involved in gangs.

That meeting has been postponed until December as community leaders deal with the grief of natural disasters in their homelands.

Parramatta crime manager Insp Dave Egan-lee told the Advertiser police wanted to understand the concerns of youth from different ethnic backgrounds.

“We thought we would sit down with church and other community leaders to see what makes their young people tick,” Insp Egan-lee said.

“Church leaders have agreed to meetings but now, with their concerns over the recent disasters, those meetings are now on hold, until December at this stage.”

Insp Egan-lee said he was confident the police and ethnic communities could work together to tackle the problem of youth crime.

On Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, members of rival youth gangs have clashed at Parramatta Interchange but an increased police and Westfield security presence has calmed the youth war.

The gangs, which come from as far away as Penrith, descend on busy Parramatta Interchange to bang heads and argue, centring their activities at Hungry Jack’s opposite the station.

Past clashes have resulted in stabbings, bashings and attacks on police – arrests have been made.

Police set up Operation Raider, working with transit police and Westfield security, to tackle the problem.

“Things have been quiet there at the moment, even though it is school holidays,” Insp Egan-lee said.