Eastern District Police likely to open new gang disruption unit

A new police gang disruption unit will likely be established later this year within Eastern District to crack down on crime and help enforce the Government’s proposed gang patch ban.

Police Commissioner Andrew Coster announced on Tuesday a new National Gang Unit will be set up by July, and district-level gang disruption units would be established in the following months.

“Almost every district” would have a team, focussing on where the “gang hum” is, he said.

The number of police in each unit and the budget for each unit has yet to be released.

However, there would be a mix of existing police being reprioritised as well as funding for new police in the units.

Gangs were linked to 8 per cent of violence and 18 per cent of serious violence across the country, and the units would address gang crime, Coster said.

“We know that gang members commit a disproportionate amount of crime and harm in New Zealand.”

For the district-level gang disruption units, Coster said they would help “identify, target and catch priority offenders” and “maintain a focused view of the gang environment” through the likes of intelligence.

“Incoming legislation will provide police with new tools to respond to the harm caused by gangs, and help ensure communities feel safe.”

Police Minister Mark Mitchell said those tools included police being able to issue dispersal notices to gangs to prevent them gathering - in a similar method to Western Australia. The notices would mean the gang members must leave and can not associate for seven days.

Mitchell said the powers would also help enforce a proposed gang patch ban in public spaces.

Police Minister Mark Mitchell (left) with Police Commissioner Andrew Coster during the announcement on Tuesday. Photo / Ben Dickens

“If they are wearing a patch in public, once the law has been passed, that is illegal,” he said.

“If a police officer asks a gang member to remove their patch and they refuse to do that, and the police officer can’t enforce it at that time, the police are now able to use a warrant to go around to that house and seize that patch.”

Lifetime Black Power member Dennis O’Reilly, who lives in Hawke’s Bay, said it would be interesting to see how the new gang units function.

“If anything can reduce violence, particularly gun violence, or reduce a sense of fear and apprehension in the community then that’s a good thing.”

However, he said it was important not to “demonise” people, and he was hopeful the new units would not undo work done to build relationships between police and gang leaders.

Lifetime Black Power member, and community advocate, Dennis O'Reilly. Photo / NZME

“I feel confident with the current commissioner that we will get a pretty nuanced and intelligent way in which this roles out.”

As for the gang patch ban, he said it was important it was done within the parameters of the Bill of Rights.

O’Reilly himself has not worn a gang patch since 2011 but is part of the Black Power community, including “sticking up for people when they need to be stuck up for”.

He is also chairman of the Waiohiki Community Charitable Trust.

Tukituki National MP Catherine Wedd could not confirm whether Eastern District Police would get its own gang disruption unit, but said cracking down on gangs was a big issue for Hawke’s Bay.

“We know that the East Coast is a hotspot for gangs, it has got one of the highest gang memberships in the country, and it’s certainly a concern for many people that live here.”

The Government expects to have banned gang patches and insignia in all public places by the end of this year.

Gary Hamilton-Irvine is a Hawke’s Bay-based reporter who covers a range of news topics including business, councils, breaking news and cyclone recovery. He formerly worked at News Corp Australia.