Ōpōtiki gang conflict: Mayor heard gunshots on day of shooting, says more police needed

Ōpōtiki Mayor David Moore was outside working on Saturday when he heard gunfire a few streets away.

“I knew it was a gun shot, and it was two of them. And I knew it was travelling.”

Police later announced a 20-year-old woman had been shot in the arm while sitting in a car, which Moore said happened not far from where he was on Bridge St in the coastal Bay of Plenty town..

Moore is once again fielding media calls this week as attention is turned on Ōpōtiki’s feuding gangs after several incidents involving firearms in the past two weeks. It comes months after the death of Mongrel Mob Barbarians president Steven Taiatini put the town under a national spotlight.

Now extra police from around the Bay of Plenty have swooped on Ōpōtiki and are using increased search powers to target gangs.

Moore said residents were trying to go about their business as usual.

“But what they [the gangs] are doing is unacceptable behaviour. It’s reassuring to have the police numbers in our town and if you were in town it’s incredible to see the numbers.”

One of the incoming National-led Government’s election pledges was to get tough on gangs and while Moore said that was great, more police officers were needed, particularly in rural towns such as Ōpōtiki.

“If you talk to any rural mayor, they don’t care about 100-day pledges. Just send us more resources. Instead of having to go to police incidents, a bit of prevention would be good.

Ōpōtiki Mayor David Moore. Photo / Andrew Warner

“Boost the numbers and give the police the resources they need to do their jobs.”

National’s police spokesman Mark Mitchell told the Rotorua Daily Post National had announced an extra 300 police but the placement of police numbers was an operational decision for the district commander and area commanders.

Mitchell said he met with Moore several weeks ago and had suggested a public safety plan led by the Ōpōtiki District Council that included iwi and community leaders working with police could come up with solutions to address the gang violence problem.

“Police need strong local leadership and support to help them. An incoming National-led Government has clearly signalled that there will be zero tolerance for gangs and the harm and misery they peddle.”

He said strong united leadership from everyone would help tackle the intergenerational harm, violence and crime that came with gang membership and culture.

National's police spokesman Mark Mitchell. Photo / Supplied

“Too much harm has already been done and we need to stop the transfer of that harm to the next generation.”

Two houses and seven vehicles believed to be linked to gangs were searched on Tuesday but no new warrants were executed yesterday.

Police said in a statement they were now focussing on investigating the incidents and engaging with community leaders, iwi and gangs.

Tuesday’s search found items including drugs, weapons and ammunition, and $27,000 in cash. Two men were to appear in the Ōpōtiki District Court today.

No one has yet been charged over Saturday’s shooting. The woman’s injuries were not considered life-threatening and she was discharged from Whakatāne Hospital on Monday.

Inspector Nicky Cooney. Photo / Supplied

Eastern Bay of Plenty area commander Inspector Nicky Cooney told the Post in a statement the gang landscape in New Zealand was “incredibly complex” and stretched back generations.

“While we acknowledge there are many reasons why a person may join a gang, on the whole, the activities they engage in are largely illicit and by extension cause immense social harm in our communities – and this is why police put huge emphasis on gang offending.”

In general, the wider public was not typically affected by gang tensions or activities, Cooney said.

“However, as their actions become more brazen, there is an increased risk of members of the public being inadvertently caught up in gangs’ offending.”

The police focus remained on holding gangs to account for their offending and harm caused in the community.

“Whether we agree with their lifestyle or not, gang members and their families live and work in our community. We also know that those often at greatest risk are their family members and children.”

She said while staff worked with the families of gang members to help ensure they had the best opportunity to live productive and safe lives, police could not stand by doing nothing when gang tensions escalated to this level.

National’s 100-day plan for gangs

• Ban gang patches
• Stop gang members gathering in public
• Stop known gang offenders from communicating with one another
• Give police greater powers to search gang members for firearms
• Make gang membership an aggravating factor at sentencing.

Source: National Party

Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 25 years, covering mainly police, court, human interest and social issues.