Kerre Woodham: What good would repealing the gang patch ban do?

Labour's Tāmaki Makaurau candidate Peeni Heare is standing by a comment that he’d repeal the gang patch ban. He agreed with the notion at an event on Wednesday night. Now, this is despite Chris Hipkins saying no, no, that's not true, we're not going to repeal the gang patch law. Peeni Henare told RNZ he was asked his personal view on the issue, which is informed by whanau experience. He understands that differs from the Party's view, but when an audience member at the Waatea-hosted debate at Favona asked the Tāmaki Makaurau candidates, will you repeal the gang patch law if you come into government, yes or no? The Te Pati Maori candidate said yes. Henare could also be heard saying aye.  

No wonder Labour is staying schtum and not releasing any policy yet. They don't have any. Individual Labour MPs have reckons, but they all seem to have different divergent reckons. For the record, Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins told me they would not be repealing the gang patch ban when he was in studio a couple of months ago.   

KW: Are you going to bring back gang patches?  

CH: No. And y'know, I think it's one of those things where it hasn't ultimately y'know, changed the nature of gang activity. Gang business is still booming. They're still selling more methamphetamine than ever. But what it has done is people feel a bit safer with not seeing patched gang members walking down the street. So no, absolutely not.  

But Peeni Heare says he personally wants to see the law repealed. Presumably he wants to see the gang patches back out on the streets and the roads and in our neighbourhoods. And that would surely, surely be a backward step. Remember what the Police Commissioner, Richard Chambers, had to say about the banning of gang patches when he was in having a chat last week: 

"I'm very, very proud of my staff across the country who have embraced the new legislation, the wearing of gang insignia, and I'm not sure how many it is now, but I think it may be over 700 prosecutions for the wearing of insignia that has helped us to address the gang issues. And in fact, whilst the gang insignia is one aspect, the reality is that gangs are responsible for a very high and disproportionate number of other serious criminal offending. So we're addressing that too, and we have thousands of additional charges that have been presented to the court because as we go about our police work, and we may well be policing things like patches, then we inevitably are dealing with other things as well. And I look at that.  

“So I know that there's been a lot of commentary about gang numbers and stuff like that, but the reality is my teams across the country are focused on holding gang members to account. And I'm very, very proud of their hard work. And I think we would all agree that that legislation has definitely gone extremely well, and the compliance level is something that I'm very, very pleased with.” 

Chambers says the gang patch ban has actually helped police to do their job, and I simply do not see how wearing patches enhances the lives of the gang members. Anecdotally, we've heard from people who say that without the patches, they feel safer. You don't have to staunch up, live up to the branding on your back. You don't, quite literally, have a target on your back. Rival gang members kill each other. Not all of them, but you are at risk. If you're wearing a colour or a gang patch that a rival gang member does not like, then you're at risk. Without that target on your back, you can just be you. A father, a son, a footy player, a worker.  

What possible good can come of repealing the gang patch ban? How is it going to help anybody? If this is an example of where Labour's at policy wise, then you'd have to say that the coalition government, with all its faults and missteps and imperfections, definitely deserves another three years. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the carry wood of morning's podcast from
News Talks. He'd be.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Labor's Tomaki Mikodo candidate Penny Hennae is standing by a
comment that he had repealed the gang patch law. He
agreed with the notion at an event on Wednesday night. Now,
this is despite Chris Hopkins saying no, no, that's not true.
We're not going to repeal the gang patch law, Penny

(00:35):
Henare told Ready New Zealand. He was asked his personal
view on the issue, which is informed by his far
no experience. He understands that differs from the party's view.
But when an audience member at the Watia hosted debate
at Favona asked the Tomaki Mikodo candidates, will you repeal
the gang patch law if you come into government? Yes

(00:58):
or no, Tapati Maori candidate said yes. Henaae could also
be heard saying ay, no. Wonder Labor is staying storm
and not releasing any policy yet. They don't have any
individual Labor MPs have reckons, but they all seem to

(01:19):
have different divergent reckons. For the record, Labor Party leader
Chris Hipkins told me they would not be repealing the
gang Patch band when he was in studio a couple
of months ago. Are you going to bring back gang patches?

Speaker 1 (01:33):
No?

Speaker 3 (01:33):
And you know, I think it's one of those things
where it hasn't ultimately changed the nature of gang activity.
Gang business is still booming, they're still selling more methanfetterming
than ever. But what it has done is people feel
a bit safer with not seeing gang patch gang members
walking down the street. So no, absolutely not.

Speaker 2 (01:51):
But Penie Henade says he personally wants to see the
law appealed. Presumably he wants to see the gang patches
back out on the streets and the roads and in
our neighborhoods, and that would surely, surely be a backward step.
Remember when what the Police Commissioner Richard Chambers had to
say about the banning of gang patches when he was

(02:13):
in having a chat last week.

Speaker 4 (02:14):
I'm very, very proud of my staff across the country
who have embraced the new legislation the wearing of gang insignia.
And I'm not sure how many it is now, but
I think it may be over seven hundred prosecutions for
the wearing of insignia. That has helped us to address
the gang issues, and in fact, whilst the gang insignia
is one aspect, the reality is that gangs are responsible

(02:36):
for a very high and disproportionate number of other serious
criminal offending. So we're addressing that too, and we have
thousands of additional charges that have been presented to the court.
Because as we go about our police work, we may
well be policing things like patches, then we inevitably are
dealing with other things as well, and I look at that.

(02:57):
So I know that there's been a lot of commentary
about gang numbers and stuff like that, but the reality
is my team, teams across the country are focused on
holding gang members to account and I'm very very proud
of their hard work and I think we would all
agree that that legislation has definitely gone extremely well and
the compliance level is something that I'm very very pleased with.

Speaker 2 (03:18):
So that was Police Commissioner Richard Chambers saying that the
gang Patch band had actually helped police to do their job.
And I simply do not see how wearing patches enhances
the lives of the gang members, and acdotally, we've heard
from people who say that without the patches they feel

(03:39):
safer You don't have to staunch up, live up to
the branding on your back. You don't quite literally have
a target on your back. Rival gang members kill each other,
not all of them, but you are at risk. If
you're wearing a color or a gang patch that a

(04:00):
rival gang member does not like, then you're at risk.
Without that target on your back, you can just be
you father, a son, a footy player or worker. What
possible good can come of repealing the gang patch ban?
How is it going to help anybody? If this is

(04:24):
an example of where labors at policy wise, then you'd
have to say that the Coalition government, with all its
faults and missteps and imperfections, definitely deserves another three years.

Speaker 1 (04:35):
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