KEY POINTS:
Are there really only 3500 gang members in New Zealand?
Police Minister Annette King told Parliament that around 1500 gang members were estimated to be in jail or "40 per cent of the gang population".
This was based on an estimate that there were only 3500 gang members in the country. The minister further added the figures were being reviewed and accuracy was difficult because people were dishonest with the police about gang membership.
New Zealand First law and order spokesman Ron Mark said the claim there were only 3500 gang members, associates and affiliates in the country was ridiculous and denying the scale of the problem simply made things worse.
Mr Mark said previous Police Minister George Hawkins told the House that a 1999 survey had found there were 10,000 gang members and associates and by 2002 this had increased to more than 21,000.
"Recently we have had the minister telling us that by her latest figures not only has the number of gang associates shrunk by 18,000 in just six years, but that 40 per cent of the 3500 that remain are safely locked up in prison." He said he didn't believe that "and I don't expect the public to buy it either".
To further muddy the waters Mr Mark said the Police Association had put gang numbers as high as 60,000.
A spokesman for Ms King said the minister received the 3500 figure from police. Police spokesman Jon Neilson said the figure was only an estimate as the gang situation was fluid, so it was difficult to know how many gang members there were in the country.
Police Association president Greg O'Connor said the 3500 figure probably came from prison surveys where inmates were asked upon their arrival if they were in gangs.
He said the problem with that was not everyone admitted to membership, so even if it was obvious they were a member - through gang tattoos - they couldn't be counted as a member unless they said they were.
Mr O'Connor said the gang membership was probably higher than 3500. Statistics of up to 60,000 were based on an older survey from the 1990s which estimated there were up to 6000 gang members. It was further estimated that for each gang member there were up to 10 associates, which meant the real figure could be in the tens of thousands.
When the Weekend Herald asked Christchurch University gang expert Jarrod Gilbert how many gang members he thought were in the country he quoted the police statistics of about 3500 as it was the only figure available.
However, he said he felt that if anything the figure might be slightly inflated.
He plans to do a study in the future but there is no other research around to give a good idea of the numbers.
So, it appears there is no exact figure that can be accurately relied upon besides saying it is in the thousands and if you add associates, probably tens of thousands.
FACT OR FICTION
An occasional election-year series
"We have had the minister telling us that ... not only has the number of gang associates shrunk by 18,000 in just 6 years, but that 40 per cent of the 3500 that remain are safely locked up in prison."
- New Zealand First law and order spokesman Ron Mark
