Police say they’re "as prepared as we can be" to enforce the Gangs Act 2024 which takes effect at midnight.
The new laws ban gang patches from being worn in public and give police a new suite of powers to break up gang events or stop members interacting.
“Gang patches will no longer be able to be worn in public. To earn the right to wear a gang patch you have to have committed violent crime. There are a trail of tears and victims behind each one of those gang patches,” Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith said in a statement this morning.
The ban also extends to photos of deceased loved ones wearing gang patches, with gang advocates concerned police powers could extend to other areas such as marae and urupā.
The Gangs Act 2024 also allows Courts to issue non-consorting orders, placing restrictions on specified convicted gang members from associating and communicating with other specified gang members.
“Gangs in our country think they’re above the law and can choose which laws they comply with, and this Government does not accept that. We have a justice system that applies equally to everyone,” Goldsmith said.
Courts will also be able to impose stricter sentences on gang members, with their membership now an aggravating factor in sentencing.
Gang members who repeatedly get caught wearing patches in public will be barred from possessing them for a period of years, regardless of whether it’s in public or private.
Police Minister Mark Mitchell said new district gang units are in place to enforce the new laws.
“Gang members make up less than one-quarter of one per cent of the New Zealand adult population, but are linked to 18 per cent of all serious violent crime, 19 per cent of all homicides and 23 per cent of all firearms offences.
“Our message to the gangs is clear, the days of behaving like you are above the law are over.”
The new units include 77 dedicated Gang Disruption Officers, with another 25 officers from the national gang units supporting them.
Speaking to TVNZ’s Breakfast this morning, Police Assistant Commissioner Paul Basham firmly said there would be no grace period following the enactment of the new laws.
“We’ve been busy behind the scenes, making sure all the software and engineering and training is in place so that we can be ready to bring effect to the legislation.”
In August, the Iwi Chairs Forum beckoned the Police to apply discretion in enforcing these laws to curtail the effect on tamariki and mokopuna.
“It will mean families will be disrupted, that tamariki and mokopuna will be witness to a lot of these things if discretion isn’t applied here,” Pou Tangata co-chairperson Rahui Papa said.