THREE KEY FACTS:
- The Mongrel Mob was formed in Hastings and Wellington in the 1960s and had Pākeha youth members but later became primarily Māori and Pacific Islander members.
- Black Power was formed about 1970 in Wellington as the Black Bulls and had Māori and Pasifika membership.
- In June 2021, there were 8061 patched gang members on the Police Gang List, a 4000 increase from 2016.
Dave Letele, also known as the Brown Buttabean, is a community and social activist and retired professional boxer and former rugby league player. He is also a motivational speaker, created a fitness gym with no equipment, gives out free meals for the homeless and runs a foodbank for people in need
OPINION
The next instalment of Heavyweight with Dave Letele, which screens on Thursday, is not aiming to glorify gangs or gang life.
The first episode we filmed looked at the impact of alcohol and addiction. This next episode delves into the impact of gang culture on our society. I’m hoping it will get some of the same positive impact as the episode on alcohol.
After that programme I received thousands of messages, and I’m eager to see the response this time. If I can positively affect even one person – and, by extension, their family and community – it makes it all worthwhile, even the comments section.
Earlier this month, the Herald released a clip and I looked at the comments on the NZ Herald’s Facebook page.
The responses were split: 50% were supportive, while the other half immediately assumed the show would glorify gangs.
I generally try to avoid comment sections, and I’m sure there will be more opinions as time goes on. However, some of the reactions bummed me out.
It’s interesting how a 60-second clip can spark such strong opinions, especially since the full show is an hour long and covers much more ground than that snippet could show.
People hold strong opinions on gangs and at extreme ends of the spectrum. But if we don’t take the time to consider different perspectives and understand where others are coming from, how are we going to move forward?
In Patched, I found Armon Tamatea (Rongowhakāta; Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki) really insightful. He’s an expert (though he doesn’t like that term) on many subjects, including gang culture, and understands deeply the intro and outro points for gang life and the complexity behind it. I really enjoyed our korero.
I also enjoyed meeting Dennis O’Reilly, a lifetime Black Power member, who shared his experience of whanaungatanga and familial ties, values that extend well beyond the gang unit. He no longer wears a patch but carries the mana, backed up by his huge community advocacy.
Meeting active gang members was another part of this journey. Through my community work, I encounter many of them, and it’s hard not to find some common ground and connection. But I realise we can’t overlook or underestimate the harm gangs cause in our communities.
I was pretty pumped to meet Lemeki and Nova, who have managed to turn their lives around and I reckon have bright futures ahead of them.
Talking to my Dad was tough. There is still pain there for me – and, there is still tension. I was without my Dad as a kid for long periods while he was inside. I don’t wish that for any kid.
For the record, I believe joining a gang is not a good decision, but I understand why so many do. It’s important to show people attracted to the lifestyle (and yes there are many) that it is actually filled with pain, constantly watching your back, imprisonment, and significant damage to families.
It’s a lot different to what you see on a 10-second TikTok reel. Anxiety, family harm, imprisonment are all outcomes experienced by those I meet in this episode.
I was surprised by the suicide rates among gang members, though I wasn’t as shocked to learn that the most damage from gangs occurs at home.
As my Dad points out in the documentary, it’s hard to think about, but many offenders were once victims themselves or were searching for something better but in all the wrong places. He noted meeting kids in state care who later ended up in jail, a pattern that’s not surprising.
This is a complex time and world, and I believe it’s crucial to have these conversations. I’ve gained insights into the challenges of gang culture, emphasising the importance of understanding why individuals choose to join gangs. Gangs play a detrimental role in communities, fuelling crime, violence, and social upheaval, perpetuating cycles of poverty and adversity.
I also sat down with Andrew Coster and believe he understands how complex these issues are. I find it amazing that a mob kid like me can sit down and have a conversation with our police commissioner.
I’m a strong advocate for rehabilitation and support programmes. We need to offer effective resources and alternatives to those seeking to leave gang life. These programmes can genuinely help people find new paths and break free from gang influence.
Preventing young people from joining gangs is another critical area for me. Investing in education, mentorship, and community engagement provides better choices and opportunities, steering them away from gang involvement and toward a positive future.
My desire is for an Aotearoa where every voice is valued and heard. Our thinking with Heavyweight with Dave Letele was to create a platform for those voices. Thanks to everyone who contributed, and nga mihi nui to NZ on Air for supporting this vision.
I’ll try to avoid the comments section after Thursday’s episode screens.
- NZ Herald