Fourteen arrests were made for alleged breaches of the gang patch ban in Tauranga
Mitchell said he was “confused” why members would bring illegal firearms to a funeral
Police Minister Mark Mitchell says gangs should expect a large police presence at tangis if they intend to carry out illegal behaviour.
His comments come after 14 people were arrested for alleged breaches of the gang patch ban while police were monitoring a tangi held for a prominent Mongrel Mob member in Tauranga.
Mitchell told Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking that if gang members “want to go to a funeral and do it in a respectful way, you won’t have any contact with police”.
“If you choose to take up public roads, abuse and intimidate people, carry illegal firearms, then the police are going to make sure the rest of the public is safe and that’s exactly what they’re doing.”
He said he was unsure why gang members would bring illegal firearms to a funeral, especially when they were aware police would also be attending.
There has been a “huge level of compliance” with the new patch ban, but a few “young ones” were not thinking.
Men with gang tattoos pose on the street outside Huria Marae in Judea, Tauranga
Police from as far afield as Christchurch had been brought in to support local staff at yesterday’s tangi.
There was a heavy police presence around three Tauranga suburbs on Thursday as tangi were believed to be held for Wayne George Kelly, known as Ned Kelly, and his partner, who died shortly after he did.
On the street in Judea, many people wore red and some men took off their shirts, displaying their gang tattoos - which are not affected by the new Gangs Act 2024.
Men with Mongrel Mob tattoos on the street near Huria Marae in Judea, Tauranga. Photo / Tom Eley
Bay of Plenty Police district commander Superintendent Tim Anderson spoke to the Bay of Plenty Times outside the memorial park.
He said at least one person had been arrested after police allegedly found two sawn-off shotguns and ammunition inside a vehicle of Waikato Mongrel Mob members travelling to the tangi.
There had been three arrests on Thursday in relation to the gang patches law, which Anderson said was “outstanding”. He said those people were “on the periphery” and most people passing through the checkpoints police set up had been compliant.
A kuia confronted police at Matapihi, yelling at them for parking outside a cemetery.
In a video posted to social media, the distressed woman can be heard shouting: “Someone in charge come and tell me why you’re parked outside my cemetery where my people are buried.
”How disgraceful is that?” she continued. ”Go park up the bloody road. I buried my cousin there on Saturday.”
Police appeared to ignore the woman’s demands at first, but RNZ reported they later agreed with the woman and moved the checkpoint about 300m down the road.
