Jacinda Ardern shoots down National's Strike Force Raptor unit

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says New Zealand doesn't need a Strike Force Raptor unit to tackle gangs and police are already doing that. Photo / AP

A special police unit to tackle gangs akin to the Strike Force Raptor team in Australia has been given the cold shoulder by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

The unit for New Zealand police was pushed strongly by the National Party as one of the main proposals in its law and order discussion document, released yesterday.

National leader Simon Bridges said the unit would be modelled on the Strike Force Raptor force in New South Wales, which handled all gang-related incidents.

It could check for liquor licences if booze was served at a gang pad, inspect tax records for welfare fraud, take away drivers' licences if traffic fines were unpaid, and use council rules to shut down gang clubhouses for shoddy workmanship or unconsented work.

The Raptor team also enforced a law that made it illegal for certain gang members to hang out with other gang members.

But Ardern shunned the idea.

"Our police already do incredible work to combat the issue of gangs," she told reporters today.

"We already have organised crime units, we have specialists within New Zealand police on the issue of gangs."

She said of the 1800 new police officers this parliamentary term, 700 are tasked with tackling organised crime and gangs.

"We should acknowledge that our New Zealand police already do a fantastic job there."

Figures released by Police Minister Stuart Nash show the total number of patched gang members in New Zealand has increased by 26 per cent since October 2017.

National also proposed a ban on gang patches from public places, revoking parole for gang members who return to gangs on release, and creating new sentences for violent gang crime.

It supports greater police powers to search the homes and cars of gang members for firearms. This is similar to the Government's proposed Firearms Prohibition Orders, except these do not target gang members but violent, dangerous people.

"The Government I lead will harass and disrupt gangs every single day I am prime minister, with the single-minded goal of eliminating them," Bridges said yesterday.

National's proposals raise human rights issues including freedom of movement, freedom of association, freedom of expression, the presumption of innocence and the right to be free from unreasonable search.

Other proposals include:

• No parole for a murderer who won't say where a body is.

• No early release for offenders who don't have NCEA Level 2 literacy and numeracy.

• Requiring Corrections to notify local schools 48 hours before the release of a sex offender into a community, or within 72 hours of housing the sex offender in a new residential address.

• Increasing penalties for those caught supplying synthetics to eight years' jail - though the Government's new drug law allows life imprisonment for synthetic drug dealers.

• Enabling cumulative sentences for offences such as murder, manslaughter, rape and sexual violation, and also if a criminal offends while on bail, in custody, or on parole.