Gangs will not lose any sleep, but the public will, over the package of measures announced by the Government today, National’s Acting Police spokesperson Chris Penk says.

“The announcements today simply tinker around the edges of a problem that the Government is not taking seriously.

“The new proposals don’t go far enough. We need to back Police and give them the tools they need to tackle gangs so our communities can feel safe again.

“National has long called for greater search powers for Police to take firearms out of the hands of gangs, so it is positive the Government is finally acting to provide these for Police. But this still doesn’t go far enough.

“The Government has completely failed to deliver safer streets. Since 2017, there has been a 21 per cent increase in violent crime, nightly ram raids and gang members conducting drive-by shootings. Firearm violence is out of control under Labour. 

“The only thing that the Government has delivered is a 40 per cent increase in gang membership.

“Labour is good at making announcements but has shown they are incapable of actually delivering. Their soft on crime approach is making Kiwis less safe.”

Unlike Labour, National is backing our frontline police officers and would give them four new tools to make their jobs easier. National would:

• Ban gang patches, which have been the recent fuel for the worst gun violence seen in New Zealand.
• Give police non-association powers to prevent gang members communicating and planning criminal activity.
• Allow police to issue dispersal notices where gang members come together in public to intimidate, threaten and sometimes assault members of the public.
• Give police the warrantless search powers they need to take the guns out of the hands of violent armed gang members