Mark Mitchell: Police Minister on the gang tangi, compliance with patch bans

The Police Minister says gangs are showing a high level of compliance with the new laws.  

Police are expecting large numbers of Mongrel Mob Barbarians in Nelson over the weekend, and will be deploying officers from Tasman and Canterbury to check for breaches.  

Yesterday, six people were arrested for allegedly breaching the patch ban at a Tauranga tangi. 

Mark Mitchell told Mike Hosking that leaders of the gangs in particular are trying to respond, and fundamentally don't seem to want to draw attention to themselves.  

He says there will probably be some younger members who won't comply because they're not thinking about it, but police will respond to that. 

Mitchell says that typically those respectfully attending a funeral won't have any contact with police.  

But he says if people are taking over public roads, intimidating people, and carrying illegal weapons, then police will respond to make sure the public is safe. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
A big day in the Bay for the coppers as

(00:01):
a large number of gang members turn up for another
one of their funerals. As time under new laws around gangs.
Of course, fourteen arrests were made. An old woman I
saw yelled at the police there for a while, but
overall it seemed a lot more contained than say a
potoguy last year. The Minister of Police Mark Mitchell's back with.

Speaker 2 (00:16):
Us morning Mate, Good Morning Mike.

Speaker 1 (00:17):
That Tim Anderson bloke, he's the goods.

Speaker 2 (00:20):
Yeah, he's an outstanding district commander and you know, I
agree with you completely, very proactive out on the street,
engaged with his front line, sort of leading from the front,
and that's what we need.

Speaker 1 (00:31):
I don't want to make this too political, but I
look at somebody like him talking. He seems to have
a spring in his step. In other words, what he's
doing now is policing the way he wants to police,
and you've given him the laws to do that. Is
that fair?

Speaker 2 (00:48):
I can't talk for but what I would say is
that just about every police officer that I know has
joined the police to keep the public safe, and when
they've given the tools and the ability to be able
to do that, then they'll respond and that's what you're seeing.

Speaker 1 (01:00):
How much did you get yesterday? Somebody said there was
a sawn off shotgun? Was there a bit of that
about the place?

Speaker 2 (01:05):
Yeah? There were firearms, illegal firearms that were recovered. I
don't know the exact number, but yes, without a doubt
they were legal forums.

Speaker 1 (01:12):
How is it that under the new laws that I'm
assuming they know about, Maybe they don't, But they turn
up to a funeral with some guns in their cars,
knowing the police are going to be there, what do
they think is going to happen?

Speaker 2 (01:26):
Well, you know exactly. You know. That's the whole point
is that if they want to go like most kiwis do,
if they go into a funeral or a tonguey, they
do it in a respectful way, then you won't have
any contact with the police. But if you choose to
come out, take over public roads, abuse and timidate people
carry illegal firearms, then you know that the police are
going to make sure the rest of the public are safe.

(01:47):
And that's exactly what they're doing.

Speaker 1 (01:49):
Are they buy and large cooperative the gangs Now that
they know.

Speaker 2 (01:53):
What there's been a very high level of compliance, so
they are at the gangs are at trying to respond.
I think fundamentally they don't want to draw attention to themselves,
certainly the leaders that they're running the organized crime groups.
So there has been a high level of compliance. You're
probably going to get some of the younger ones that

(02:15):
aren't thinking too much about it that we'll try and
you know that won't comply. But the police will respond
to that. And we've seen the strong response from our police.
I've listened for the last twelve months the narrative and
the media being that our police aren't strong enough and
they're not capable of Dean of the gains, the gains
too strong. You've seen a clear response from the police
in the last week on that they're doing an outstanding job.

Speaker 1 (02:36):
While I've got you this rapid review report that's floating
around that says that you can, you know, kill your
five hundred extra cops promise and you'll save some money.
But what's the point of a review like that in
the sense that I could tell you that if you
didn't hire five hundred people you would save money.

Speaker 2 (02:52):
Yeah, No, I think that obviously the Treasury have done
a rapid review and they'll come forward with some recommendations.
It doesn't mean that those recommendations will be acted upon.
And we've committed to the additional five hundred police officers
and that's a firm commitment and we're well on track
to delivering those.

Speaker 1 (03:07):
Right the five hundred is that now that you're in charge.
Is the five hundred because they're actually needed or is
the five hundred a political thing that you said at
the time.

Speaker 2 (03:16):
No, you can always look. You can always have more
police officers on the front line without a doubt, and
they'll be they'll be welcome with open arms, and you
know we're doing things like increasing visibility with beat teams.
We've got our gain disruption units, so you know they
will be welcoming the stations and it's a good commitment.
And the great thing is we've got a really strong
pipeline of people wanting to join the police good and

(03:39):
we will and we're will on track for delivering.

Speaker 1 (03:42):
Go well, have a good weekend. See Police Minister with
us this morning. For more from the Mike Asking Breakfast,
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