“These will be dedicated district teams to help identify, target and catch priority offenders, and maintain a focused view of the gang environment.”
A police spokeswoman told the Herald in an email yesterday that “certainly” Tairāwhiti would be considered for such a unit because of its ongoing gang issues.
“No police districts have been ruled out as of this stage,” she said.
“The commissioner’s announcement signals the start of a process to establish both the National Gang Unit and the frontline Gang Disruption Units.
“Resourcing allocations will be determined through this process, in consultation with District Commanders, and is likely to include a mix of reprioritised and new investment.”
Coster said gang members committed a disproportionate amount of crime and harm in New Zealand, particularly in the areas of serious assault, robberies, drug and firearms offences, and homicides.
“Police have been working hard to combat the impact of gangs and organised crime groups in recent times, through targeted national and district operations, organised crime investigations, Offender Prevention Teams and many other responses,” he said.
“The new National Gang Unit to be established will enable the continuation of this work and build our operational capability further.
“The unit will work with police districts across the country, drawing on the successes of Operation Cobalt and other coordinated responses to gang funerals and other gang activity.
“The National Gang Unit will support district-based staff to plan and coordinate enforcement, resources and police responses, in a determined effort to continue applying pressure on gangs to disrupt and prevent gang-related crime, disorder and intimidation.”
Coster said incoming legislation would provide police with new tools to respond to the harm caused by gangs and help ensure communities felt safe.
“The National Gang Unit will help ensure our officers can effectively enforce the intent of the legislation.
“The new gang units will boost our focus and capability, but they are not working alone – our whole frontline is involved in preventing the crime and harm caused by methamphetamine, organised crime and gangs, whether through road policing, organised crime investigations, prosecutions or prevention activity,” he said.
“The new gang units will boost our focus and capability, but they are not working alone – our whole frontline is involved in preventing the crime and harm caused by methamphetamine, organised crime and gangs, whether through road policing, organised crime investigations, prosecution or prevention activity,” Coster said.
“At a time in the world when safety and feeling safe is an evolving picture in many countries, New Zealand is still one of the safest countries to live. But the gang landscape is changing, and police will continue to adapt to meet these challenges head-on.
“Ultimately, it’s about supporting our frontline to keep everyone safe and deliver the best results for our communities.
“Work to implement the National Gang Unit is currently underway. Once complete, the work of Operation Cobalt will be continued through the National Gang Unit.”
