The justice minister hopes the gang patch ban will eventually cut down on overall crime, new top cop says he's open to looking into bodycams for the country's police officers.
A member of the Mongrel Mob Mana Wāhinetoa group went early this morning to test the new gang patch laws and managed to get home after a brief encounter with cops.
Cherie Kurarangi did a sugar shopping run wearing her Mongrel Mob T-shirt to the localMobil petrol station in Napier and struck up a conversation with officers.
“I saw officers do a U-turn and parked up. I was wearing my colours and standing at the window of the service station buying some milk and chocolate.”
Kurarangi said the officers sat in their squad car and watched her. She was wearing the t-shirt pictured.
“They didn’t say anything, and in fact I went over to them and asked if everything is alright. I have been in a lot of hui with police over a range of kaupapa. The officer knew me and wound down his window and said ‘what are we doing Cherie?’,” she said.
Kurarangi told the officer she was not looking for any trouble but wanted to ask some questions about the police gang amendment act.
“They had a chuckle and I was allowed to go home with my milk and chocolate.”
Kurarangi (Ngāti Kahungunu) set up an organisation called Hearty Families, which helps reconnect the families of Māori women in gangs, many of whom are former inmates. She also made submissions on behalf of herself and the gangs to the Royal Commission into State and Faith Care Abuse.
He became the first gang member to be charged under the new legislation, which came into force at midnight Wednesday.
Police commissioner Richard Chambers told Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking the new gang insignia law, which came into effect overnight, has already been used.
“Three minutes past midnight my staff stopped a vehicle displaying gang insignia and they are now facing prosecution,” Chambers said.
He told Hosking the person the staff dealt with was respectful and followed the orders of police.
