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Wanganui's plan to ban gang insignia from the city's public places could become law across the New Zealand.
Gang brawls between Mongrel Mob and Hell's Angels early last year and intimidation in the city's streets prompted Wanganui District Council to draft a bylaw banning gang insignia.
The bylaw was supported by councillors but ran into Bill of Rights issues.
Wanganui Mayor Michael Laws said the delays prompted the council to turn to Whanganui MP Chester Borrows, of the National Party, to sponsor the bill.
"He has agreed and is very supportive," Mr Laws said.
Local bills had priority over members' bills and Mr Laws therefore expected the Gang Insignia Bill to be passed by the end of the year.
"We believe it'll have strong support on both sides of the House and we know that virtually every other council in New Zealand is looking at Wanganui and saying 'we'll be in next if that one succeeds'."
"Against the glacial progress that has been made in the rest of the country, Wanganui is making relatively quick progress."
Lobbying for political support would not start until a referendum to gauge public support for the bill was held in Wanganui in April.
However, early support had come from New Zealand Police Association president Greg O'Connor.
"The association applauds the efforts of the council to assist in your attempt to show the citizens of Wanganui that overt gang behaviour will not be tolerated," Mr O'Connor said in a letter to the council.
"We believe a successful law in your city could become the model for the country.
"Flaunting of the gang paraphernalia is an act of intimidation and any bylaw which gives the authorities the ability to limit or even, hopefully, eliminate such obvious paraphernalia is a small but significant step towards reclaiming the streets for law-abiding New Zealanders."
Mr O'Connor said the association believed all strategies designed to disempower gangs should be co-ordinated between local bodies and central government, and between government departments such as corrections, justice, police and the IRD.
- NZPA
