New gang prevention law misses the mark

Preventing something from happening is more effective than reacting to it afterwards. That’s why I believe the changes introduced by the Government to tackle gangs and intimidating behaviour misses the mark.

Police Minister Chris Hipkins said the Government wanted to hit gangs and other offenders “where it hurts” by taking their guns, cars and motorbikes and making it harder to launder money.

Yes, it’s good in respect to getting tough, but that alone will not solve the gang problem. Criminals will always be able to weasel their way around the law.

New Zealand’s gang landscape has changed dramatically since the arrival of the 501 deportees from Australia, especially with drugs and violence.

People join gangs for a number of reasons, including intergenerational poverty, seeking a sense of belonging and greed, and outlawing gangs or getting people to leave them seems an impossible task.

So, how do we effectively tackle these people and the problems they cause?

My view is that we are doing things the same way we have for decades. If raiding gang pads and confiscating their possessions was the answer, we would not be in this predicament.

It’s time for some fresh thinking, and to put more money into programmes that change gang culture. A great example is Tauranga’s Te¯ Tuinga Wha¯nau Support Services which works alongside gang members to help reduce harm and change its culture from the inside-out.

It is also working with police, who last year said both gangs and police understood that “not every gang member is a criminal”.

Police were coming along on one side, the gangs on the other, and the two now needed to meet in the middle towards a common goal.

That’s the way forward — changing the culture of gangs so members don’t commit crimes in the first place.

I hope arrests are not used as a blunt measurement of success for these latest changes, because it will do nothing to help long-term.

That’s not to say police and the justice system should give gangs a free pass. People who commit crimes deserve to be arrested and punished, and the harm gang members and others cause in our communities cannot be understated. But that alone is not the answer.

If we had the opportunity to prevent something from happening or established proper working relationships between gangs and police, I believe we would start to see positive changes.