Closer watch on local gangs

The action plan follows legislation National Party MP Todd McClay put through Parliament last year to ban gang patches from all Government premises. Photo / Andrew Warner

Rotorua's gangs could be in for more scrutiny with the start-up of a police-run Gang Intelligence Centre, one of the ideas announced in a Government action plan.

The action plan, announced yesterday, also has focuses to give young people options other than joining gangs and to help those who want to leave.

Rotorua MP Todd McClay said the plan would help to reduce the harm gangs cause to families and communities.

For the first time, a multi-agency approach involving intelligence-gathering, enhanced law enforcement, prevention, intervention, rehabilitation and reintegration will be adopted to address New Zealand gangs and transnational crime groups.

Rotorua police Inspector Ed Van Den Broek said police took gang activity seriously "and maintain a proactive policing approach to gang presence and activities in our CBD, urban and rural areas, including our roads".

"Police are very aware of the intimidating nature of gang patches in public places, particularly in the CBD," he said.

"Our approach is to proactively police gang activity and to maintain a high level of visibility in and around Rotorua in an effort to prevent gang intimidation and/or activities, using all legislative powers available to the police to ban patches. In addition, we work closely alongside our local partners such as councils, community groups, social agencies and iwi to ensure that together, we are all doing everything we can in this regard."

The action plan follows legislation Mr McClay put through Parliament last year to ban gang patches from all Government premises including schools, kindergartens and hospitals.

"Importantly it places a strong focus on breaking the cycle of offending by preventing young people from joining these organisations, and helping current members to exit gang life," Mr McClay said.

The Government action plan addresses the issue through four initiatives: a multi-agency Gang Intelligence Centre led by police to collect and combine intelligence on real-time gang activity; Start at Home, a programme of work to refocus social initiatives; the establishment of two multi-agency Dedicated Enforcement Taskforces and the strengthening of the Sentencing Act will be amended to allow courts to stipulate 24-hour GPS monitoring on high-risk gang affiliates following release from prison. Other legislation will also be reviewed.

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