Raumanga locals already concerned about gangs before 'brazen, reckless' shootings

Whangārei suburb Raumanga has seen a rise in tension between long-standing gangs the Head Hunters and Black Power. Photo / NZME

Raumanga residents were already concerned about their neighbourhood before gang tensions boiled over, a community leader says.

The comment from Okara ward councillor Carol Peters was in the wake of two shootings carried out in broad daylight in the Whangārei suburb last week.

Northland police are now investigating simmering tensions in the area between the Head Hunters and Black Power gangs.

The first shooting was believed to have been a drive-by targeting a house in Mahana Place, a short cul-de-sac near Tarewa Park, about 12.30pm on December 7.

Reports of gunshots had about 20 armed police – including a canine unit – rush to the address and cordon off the street.

Police respond to last week's shooting in Mahana Place, Raumanga. Photo / NZME

Hora Hora Primary School in Te Mai Rd, separated from Mahana Place by the park and several houses, was placed into a brief lockdown as a precaution.

Detective Senior Sergeant Kevan Verry, of the Northland Organised Crime Unit, said their investigations had confirmed several shots appeared to have been fired at the property.

"Thankfully, no one was injured in this incident," he said.

The Advocate understands the property may have links to a high-profile Head Hunters gang member, who was spotted at the address alongside responding police.

Police at the scene of a drive-by shooting at Mahana Place in Raumanga last week. Photo / NZME

A car belonging to an "innocent" member of the public was caught up in Raumanga's gun violence during a second shooting last Sunday about 12.30pm.

Police quickly responded to reports shots had been fired in Smeatons Drive about 3km south of Mahana Place.

Once at the scene, they discovered the vehicle with a single bullet hole in it.

Fortunately, no one had been in the vehicle at the time the shot was fired. Police said there were no injuries as a result of the shooting.

Verry said police were "extremely concerned" by the events and had "zero tolerance" for armed gangs whose behaviour put community members "at risk".

"Both of these incidents were carried out in broad daylight in residential areas with children and bystanders in the vicinity."

"The behaviour is completely brazen, reckless and shows the lack of respect gang members can have for our communities," he said.

Stuff reported the shootings were the result of gang taxing – "a form of extortion, retribution or punishment" – started by a Black Power member who "taxed" a car from a prominent Head Hunter's family member.

Their article stated a "person linked to the Head Hunters" then attacked and kidnapped a Black Power member.

However, the police word is that is all still speculation.

Verry said the cause of the shootings was something police were yet to ascertain as they simultaneously focused on "de-escalating the situation".

He said gang influence was Whangārei-wide rather than isolated to Raumanga, which some patched members have called home for a long time.

While no arrests had yet been made, police planned to "actively target" the gangs involved and had bolstered their presence in the suburb.

Okara ward councillor Carol Peters said a sense of concern had already been brewing in the Raumanga community before the gun violence unfolded.

Okara Ward councillor Carol Peters. Photo / Michael Cunningham

It had become evident at a neighbourhood meeting where people had expressed their worries about their neighbours, she said.

Peters said the community held certain fears about gang activity because some residents were the families of patched Black Power and Head Hunter members.

"But that has always come and gone," she said.

Peters felt it would be a disservice for the entire Raumanga community to be cast into disdain by the shootings because there are "lots of wonderful" locals who "cared about each other".

Pockets of the neighbourhood had been making an effort to get to know one another better in a bid to "overcome" issues that troubled the community, she said.

Earlier this month, Police Association president Chris Cahill told RNZ's Morning Report that gun violence was growing in prevalence in New Zealand streets.

He said gangs were now "happy to arm up" and "happy to pull the trigger".

New Zealand Police Association president Chris Cahill. Photo / Stuff

And the lack of a firearms register meant the country's underworld could have "hundreds and thousands" of weapons and "we'd never know".

Cahill thought the return of the 501s – patched Australian gang members deported to New Zealand, their country of birth – had contributed to the escalation in gun violence nationwide.

"New Zealand gang members have just followed along that course," he said.

Cahill said it was important to keep shootings in context because most were gang versus gang, "but increasingly, members of the public are getting caught in the middle of it".

Anyone with information about last week's shooting is encouraged to phone police on 105 and quote file number 211207/6584 or anonymously contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.