Otara working to defuse gang violence

Youth workers Sully Paea (left) and Allan Va'a at the Crosspower Ministries Trust gym in Otara. Picture / Martin Sykes

Otara's community is pulling together to try to defuse gang violence which has claimed the life of one man and put several teenagers in hospital.

Yesterday, as schoolboy George Meaole Naea appeared in court over two separate street attacks and his family were coming to terms with the unsolved murder of his father at Labour weekend, more than 20 community leaders met to plan talks with some of the young gang members, and other agencies.

Manukau Mayor Sir Barry Curtis will be briefed today by Counties-Manukau police commander Steve Shortland and hopes to organise community meetings.

He said yesterday that the community, including the families of those involved, would have to work together to resolve the problem.

"It is ludicrous that these so-called gangs are claiming part of the city as their 'turf'," he said.

"The community owns these streets, not them. If these teenagers think they are outlaws who can take over our city, they are in for a rude shock."

Youth workers Sully Paea and Allan Va'a said they sensed that trouble was brewing across the city before the Labour weekend attacks in Flat Bush which killed Iulio Naea Kilepoa and left two youths severely injured.

Girls from outside Southern Cross Campus got into a fight at the Mangere education complex about two weeks ago, and students from Aorere College in Papatoetoe were attacked with hammers in another fight 10 days ago.

Mr Va'a and his wife were the first on the scene when the two Flat Bush youths were attacked early on Sunday just around the corner from the Va'as' home.

"My wife utilised her first aid skills to work with the two," he said. "It's not only what we work with, it's our reality.

"I'm angry at the situation because it's our young men killing our young men."

He said the idea of a fair fight had gone as gangs of up to seven people often attacked one person with weapons. "A lot of that is attributed to the DVDs that are coming out with hip-hop culture, the Afro-American culture, hunting in packs. It's imitation," he said.

"They pick up a lot of the things that are seen as cool. It's cool being black."

A Youth Horizons Trust youth worker, William Peace, said the gangs were local rather than racial.

He is also club captain of the Otara Rugby League Club and has tried to give youths an identity by recruiting them into rugby league.

The youth workers said the crisis was bringing all the community networks in Otara together. "We need to work with schools and churches and sports and community groups," Mr Peace said, "and change these behaviours."