Christopher Luxon announced that a further 70 police officers will be added to community patrol teams across the country. Video / Mark Mitchell
Police leaders claim gangs are split on the impending public patch ban, reporting some members believe gang patches are things of the past while others are adamant they won’t give them up.
With police expected to have use of the powers from November 21, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today reiterated his strong support of a more intensive targeting of gangs and welcomed Police Commissioner Andrew Coster outlining how the Government’s commitment to train 500 more officers would boost community patrol and gang disruption efforts.
Coster today said 70 of those new officers would beef up police’s “community beat teams”, which spawned alongside the Government’s drive to make police more visible and address public safety concerns.
A further 77 would add to the national and regional gang disruption units. Alongside more officers for public safety and youth policing, 167 of the 500 would fill current tactical response vacancies.
Critics had cast doubt on whether police would achieve the target by the deadline of November next year, citing low recruitment levels and Australian states running recruitment drives for Kiwi cops.
Police Commissioner Andrew Coster (left) and Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Police Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming accepted achieving the target would be a “test”.
However, he pointed to changes to application criteria for people wishing to train as officers, including relaxing residency and driver’s licence requirements, which had led to a 300% increase in applications.
Acknowledging police wouldn’t lower its standards for people to pass training, McSkimming expected the changes would increase the number of officers trained and noted training wings of 100 recruits would start from April next year - a first for police.
McSkimming said officers desired the new gang policing powers so they could “deal with gangs appropriately”.
He said police had engaged with communities and gangs to make it clear officers would have a “zero tolerance approach”.
Asked what feedback police had received from gangs, McSkimming said it was “mixed”.
“[It ranged from], ‘We don’t need a gang patch to identify ourselves any more’, to others that are saying, ‘Well, this is how we identify ourselves and we’re not giving them up’.”
Luxon, encouraged by more officers going towards gang disruption, reiterated the Government’s support for the harassment of gangs.
In Opposition, National was highly critical of the previous Labour Government and claimed gang numbers had increased 50% under Labour’s watch, citing police’s National Gang List. It was also a point used by now-National ministers as they argued for more invasive gang laws.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon stressed his focus on outcomes while holding a press conference in Wellington after a briefing with police. Photo / Mark Mitchell
McSkimming today spoke of police’s efforts over the last 12 months to update the list, which had led to the removal of hundreds of people from the list - such as those who were deceased.
Police Minister Mark Mitchell maintained he hadn’t directed police to conduct that work and claimed the Government had intentionally not celebrated a reduction given the data hadn’t been providing a complete assessment of national gang numbers.
Luxon’s patience ran thin when it was suggested the list trimming came at a convenient time for his Government that had campaigned on stamping out gangs.
“Guys, no disrespect but it’s not about the fricken targets, it’s actually about the outcomes,” he said, noting accurate data was essential.
Gangs Bill passes third reading as Opposition MPs decry “erosion of rights”
The bill containing the new gang policing powers made it through its third reading with Opposition MPs like Labour’s justice spokesman Duncan Webb criticising the legislation for its “absolute over-reach” and the “significant erosion of rights” it facilitated.
Webb said the most “invidious” part was the ability for police to search the home of someone who had breached the patch ban three times in five years.
”The idea of a private residence being a particular sanctuary that should only be invaded by the State in the most necessary of circumstances is one of the most long-standing principles of our law.”
He also took aim at what he considered sloppy law-making after Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith had to add two last-minute amendments to satisfy concerns from police the ban might be undermined.
”This bill is so poorly put together, so unprincipled, that it makes no sense. Yes, we’ve got to do something about gangs, but addressing the causes and harms of gangs is what we should be doing.”
Labour’s position on the bill was muddied slightly by deputy leader Carmel Sepuloni who today said the party could potentially support it if changes were made.
Webb later clarified he supported no aspects of the current bill. Asked if Labour would repeal it if in government, Webb said it would depend on the success of the powers and noted his reluctance to waste time repealing all of the coalition Government’s legislation.
Green Party justice spokeswoman Tamatha Paul said the bill was about persecuting Māori because all gangs were not being treated equally in the legislation.
”What about white supremacists? What about swastikas and other white supremacist symbols? They haven’t been prohibited.”
Goldsmith urged the House to “get real” about gangs in New Zealand saying they were causing mayhem.
”No effort to reduce serious crime will succeed unless we make progress against gangs.”
Adam Pearse is a political reporter in the NZ Herald Press Gallery team, based at Parliament. He has worked for NZME since 2018, covering sport and health for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei before moving to the NZ Herald in Auckland, covering Covid-19 and crime.
