Legislation passed through Parliament today will provide police and the courts with additional tools to crack down on gangs, says Justice Minister, Paul Goldsmith.
From 21 November, gang insignia will be banned in all public places, courts will be able to issue non-consorting orders, and police will be able to stop criminal gangs from associating and communicating.
“Greater weight will also be given to gang membership at sentencing, enabling courts to impose more severe punishments, as committed to in the National, Act and NZ First Coalition agreements,” said Mr Goldsmith.
“Gang membership has increased 51% over the last five years, alongside violent crime increasing 33%. This Government is committed to restoring law and order.
“Repeat offenders continually convicted of displaying their patches in public will be subject to a new court order, prohibiting them from possessing any gang insignia either in public or private for five years.”
Gang insignia being displayed from inside a private vehicle will also be covered by the patch ban.
“Police will be better equipped to target disruptive gang events, with the power to issue dispersal notices to break up public gang gatherings and to place a non-association order on those involved for the week following the event,” said the Minister.
“Non-consorting orders issued by the courts will prevent the most serious gang criminals from associating and communicating with one another for three years, where there is a risk of them planning or committing further gang crime.
“Gang members make up less than one quarter of one percent of the New Zealand adult population, yet are linked to 18% of all serious violent crime, 19% of all homicides, 23% of all firearms offences, 25% of all kidnapping and abductions, and 25% of all the crime harm caused by illicit drug offences.
“This Government is committed to ensuring there are 20,000 fewer victims of violent crime by 2029, and reducing serious youth offending by 15%.
“Part of that is ensuring is gang members are no longer able to wreak havoc throughout our communities. Our message to them is clear, the days of behaving like you are above the law, are over,” he said.
