Timaru considers gang patch ban

Timaru will ban gang insignia after Wanganui's new gang patch bylaw is tested in court, the South Island city's mayor says.

A bylaw passed at Wanganui District Council's meeting on Monday night gave police powers to fine patch-wearers $2000 and take possession of their insignia.

The new rule, touted by its supporters as a bid to stomp out gang intimidation, came into force at midnight on Monday.

The first arrest under the bylaw was made about 12 hours later.

Timaru Mayor Janie Annear told Radio New Zealand her city didn't have a gang problem, but would be "pro-active" and pass a bylaw like Wanganui's.

"Pretending it's not happening and pretending gangs are not part of every community in New Zealand is why they do as well as they do...

"We're going to make sure we have a provision in our community, a way of making our place the hardest place for gangs to exist and to really make it a place that gangs are thinking `ah, we're not gonna move in there because it's too hard'."

Mrs Annear said the whole council, along with police and the community, supported banning gang insignia in Timaru.

The city would wait and see how Wanganui's bylaw was tested in court, before enacting its own ban.

Mayors who weren't working towards similar bans were "incredibly weak-kneed", she said, thanking Wanganui mayor Michael Laws for taking steps to stamp out "organised criminals".

Wanganui gang members held a patch-free protest in the city yesterday, with a small number of people amongst a crowd of about 300 wearing colours favoured by Black Power and the Mongrel Mob.

The first arrest under the new bylaw was made a short time later, but was unrelated to the protest.

A speeding motorcyclist believed to have been wearing a Tribesman patch was arrested in the suburb of Gonville and his jacket confiscated, police said.

He would appear in court on September 8.

Black Power life member Denis O'Reilly said the bylaw was "absurd" and Mr Laws and the council had subverted the processes of Parliament in getting it enacted.

Mike Hills, a local with no gang affiliations, said the bylaw was an erosion of civil liberties and a cheap publicity stunt by Mr Laws.

He said there was no silver bullet to fix the social issues associated with gangs, but banning patches would only serve to drive a wedge further between the gang members and community.

"It's going to take a lot of hard work to solve the problem and a stroke of the pen is no solution," he said.

As was indicated by Mr O'Reilly, Mr Hills said he hoped those opposing the bylaw would now use lobbying, referendums and legal avenues to challenge the legislation.

Palmerston North Mayor Jono Naylor and Gisborne Mayor Meng Foon told Radio New Zealand they had no plans to adopt the bylaw.

- NZPA