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Wellington, December 26, 2020
The New Zealand Police data shows that about 900 people joined a gang this year, an increase of 13% compared to 2019.
Police have identified more than 7000 people as belonging to a gang during 2020, although the number is likely higher.
Several gang members with New Zealand ties have been deported from Australia, known as ‘501s,’ referring to the legislation underpinning the deportations.
Local chapters of the Mongols, Bandidos and the Comancheros have been established.
More violent mindset
Detective Sergeant Ray Sunkel said that the Australian imports are harder and bring a more violent mindset.
Following arrests targeting the Mongols motorbike gang in Bay of Plenty earlier this year, community advocate and lifetime Black Power member Dennis O’Reilly said that gangs like the Mongols, established by people deported from Australia, operated on an entirely different basis to the gangs New Zealanders were accustomed to seeing.
“They are all New Zealanders by dint of having been exported here under 501, but they are not playing the game,” he said.
Police have admitted that they are facing challenges in fighting organised crime and gangs.
Gangs and arms
Earlier this year, Detective Superintendent Greg Williams of the National Organised Crime Group told Morning Report that there had been “a general arming up by the gangs” over the last three or four years, as well as a number of gangs increasing in size.
In the past year, Police have sought to disrupt gangs by seizing $230 million of assets and laying money laundering charges against 118 gang members.
-Published under a Special Agreement with www.rnz.co.nz
Our Staff Reporter adds:
‘Alarming,’ says Simeon Brown
Reacting to the above news, Member of Parliament from Pakuranga and National Party Police Spokesperson Simeon Brown described the rate of increase in gang membership as ‘alarming.’
“Gang membership on the rise is one of the causes of the increased gun violence we are seeing on our streets. Gangs are shooting at each other, and police officers are being shot at regularly. We should not tolerate this violence in New Zealand,” he said.
Mr Brown said that there must be a crackdown on gang and the violence and misery they peddle immediately. The Police are doing all they can with the resources they have, he said but blamed the government, saying that it has no plan to deal with gangs or stop their recruitment.
Reducing firearms
“The government should be doing more. National has tried again and again to introduce our Firearms Prohibition Orders Bill but the government has blocked it at every opportunity. This is a sensible piece of legislation that would give Police more powers to search and take firearms off gang members and focuses on criminals and illegal activity,” he said.
Mr Brown said that New Zealanders should not have to worry about their children joining gangs and that the Government should step up and start taking leadership on this issue.
“The soft on crime attitude from the Government has seen gang membership increase steeply under its three years in power. The time for action is now,” he said.
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