KEY POINTS:
Police chiefs are not taking the gang problem seriously enough, according to the Police Association.
It has renewed its call for a commission of inquiry into gangs and organised crime.
Association president Greg O'Connor said gangs were now a national problem and a national solution was needed.
New Zealand's 12 policing districts tended to focus on gang activity within their own areas rather than treat the matter as a national issue.
Mr O'Connor told the latest edition of Police News, the association's monthly magazine, that a properly constructed and empowered commission could be more broad-ranging than an evidential inquiry.
"It would also have the impact of informing New Zealanders of how deeply entrenched in New Zealand society these organised criminal groups are."
As an example, he said that almost anyone in New Zealand today who bought illicit drugs, other than cannabis in some cases, was dealing with gangs.
"The impact of the current unco-ordinated policing of crime groups is that it effectively serves as a culling exercise, which makes those left behind stronger," he said.
"Police chiefs must look at the manner in which the performance of the districts is measured, to empower them to tackle the gang/crime problem."
Mr O'Connor said police chiefs needed to be working with politicians to persuade them that the politically sensitive nature of the crime statistics, which impacted heavily on current strategy, should be minimised or eliminated.
He suggested one way would be to report the statistics monthly, instead of annually, which would assist in depoliticising the issue.
Mr O'Connor also said police and political leaders should only ever meet gang leaders if the gang leaders requested a meeting, and "that would be because those leaders were feeling under such pressure that it is curtailing their criminal activities".
Also, police should only meet the gang leaders to tell them the pressure would continue, he said.
"Any attempt at detente of any type merely empowers those gang leaders in the eyes of their own and the public."
- NZPA
