User:Walkerbull/sandbox
Gangs in New Zealand have historically reflected outlaw biker gang cultures derived from Hells Angels in the United States and Satan's Slaves in the United Kingdom. While they were initially largely made up of wayward European youth, they have since become multiracial in their composition. An ongoing urban drift driven by a rapidly growing economy, recurrent racial discrimination, a detachment of Māori from their cultural origins, and neglect and abuse in state institutions spurred an increasing presence of Māori in gangs that eventually matured in the 1970s. Patches were soon adopted as a symbol of significance within the gang and have since become a staple of gang culture in New Zealand. In this, the original forerunners of what are today recognised as gangs can be traced back to earlier biker clubs, such as Hells Angels, The Saints, The Twenty-Five Club, Devils Henchmen, and Highwaymen, among others. Gangs, as a result, have also become generational, with the traditions and lifestyle handed down by generation. This original generation was later replaced with newer biker clubs from 1970 onward, such as the Outlaws, Outcasts, and Grim Reapers. As these evolved further, so did the ethnic makeup of gangs, with an increased non-European presence among them, such as Huhu's, the Highwaymen (New Zealand), and Wairap Mob to name several. Abuse in state care institutions also fueled the increasing presence of gangs and continued to do so for decades. It would not be until 2018 that a state inquiry was formed to investigate these abuses. Like previous generations, the influence of some gangs has waxed and waned with time, either because of losing memberships and territory or because of a growing influence by gangs that are not indigenous to New Zealand (Head Hunters, Rebels, Comancheros, Outlaws, Bandidos, etc.). Many of the original generation were partly crowded out by these newer gangs. Historically, the largest have been the Mongrel Mob and Black Power.[1][2]
The state approach to gangs has varied by decade, with an initial period of engagement during the Third National Government of Robert Muldoon. He took an interest in resolving what has since been regarded as a social problem, such as providing state work schemes for gang members and encouragement of involvement in community activities, such as rugby. However, he believed that punitive law enforcement approaches should only be used in the event the law was broken. In 1976, the Mayor of Wellington, Michael Fowler, arranged bail for seven gang members following a confrontation with the Mongrel Mob, showing an increased interest in gangs at the political level.[1][3] As the New Zealand economy worsened from the late 1970s onward, the social ailments of unemployment and poverty became more pronounced. This then saw gangs grow at a small but consistent pace. David Lange, in his capacity as Prime Minister, spoke to a gathering of Mongrel Mob and Black Power members concerning the acquittal of Philip Mason in Kawerau in June 1987, marking the end of direct engagement by government.[4] By August 1987, the Fourth Labour Government had ended community engagement, abolished work schemes for gang members, and focused on being 'tough on crime' in that year's election, identifying it as a key election issue.[5][6] The radical free-market reforms undertaken by that Labour government and their successors compounded the social turmoil that fueled a growth in gangs. The 'tough on crime' approach has since been adopted uncritically by both National and Labour governments, often driven by increased media coverage of gangs, with crime often a major concern for New Zealand voters. In 1981, the report by the Committee on Gangs elaborated on negative, saturation media coverage and urged restraint in their coverage: “[c]ontinued efforts should be made by the news media to strike a balance between the public’s right to know about gang activities and avoiding coverage that unnecessarily glamorises these activities.” Another inquiry into gangs in 1987 concluded that distorted media coverage was being used by officials to make claims that had no evidential basis.[1]
By the early 2000s, a swelling membership saw a number within gangs believe that some had not rightly earned their membership, a notable change from what had occurred previously when recruitment had been less active and enticing. Recruitment of prospective gang members then became increasingly rigid and hardened, prompted by some concern that the growing size of the membership had become unwieldy to the leadership of these gangs. As a result, youth 'street gangs' had appeared in increasing numbers by 2006. While National had promised a gang crackdown in 2008, no primary legislation doing so was passed.[7] The previous Clark government also did not undertake any serious legislative attempt to undercut gangs.[8] The appearance of the Rebels proliferated membership as they expanded their operations to New Zealand and threatened established gangs. While it has been reported there are roughly 8,000 gang members in New Zealand, this figure is disputed. The decision of the Australian Government to invoke the 501 provision in the Migration Act 1958 has seen still further newer, external gangs arrive in New Zealand and establish themselves. The number and activities of gangs have once again been thrust into the public arena, particularly in the 2023 election, with renewed media coverage. While gangs had been something of a political football in the past, the media focus on them in 2023 reached fever pitch. Newer, tougher laws have been introduced since. The Gang Legislation Amendment Bill was introduced, despite the Attorney General declaring it violated the Bill of Rights Act. The success of the punitive approach has also been disputed, and there is documentary evidence it worsens community cohesion, resulting in ongoing comment and debate about gangs in New Zealand.[1][9]
[1] - Tam, Harry, Wilkinson, Angie, & Wilkinson, Joanna. (2024, July). A critique of the New Zealand Government’s Gang Legislation Amendment Bill’s banning gang patches in public.
[2] - New Zealand Organised Crime Branch. (2007, January). New Zealand gangs.
[3] - Trust: A true story of Women and Gangs. Pip Desmond. 2009. Page 26
[4] - Lange, D. (1987, June 29). Gangs [Audio recording]. RNZ Collection. MASON, P., & Niall, T.
[5] - Douglas, R., Goff, P., Hercus, A., Lange, D., Marshall, R., & Palmer, G. W. R. (1987, July 30). Party Political Broadcast: Labour Party. [Audio recording]. RNZ Collection. Radio New Zealand.
[6] - Parliamentary Business Research. (2009, April 3). Young people and gangs in New Zealand [Research paper]. Retrieved from https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/research-papers/document/00PLSocRP09021/young-people-and-gangs-in-new-zealand
[7] - NZPA. (2008, May 12). Key promises crackdown on drug trade and gangs. Retrieved from https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/key-promises-crackdown-on-drug-trade-and-gangs/LVJTPZ2WS2UCPMKZWUO2XZY5AU/
[8] - NZPA. (2008, May 12). Huge effort needed to combat gangs and drugs - PM. Retrieved from https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/huge-effort-needed-to-combat-gangs-and-drugs-pm/HZ5U7OWHI75OTABNJMOHFH5UZE/
[9] - Godfery, M. (2022, August). Some New Zealand politicians want to crack down on gangs. That’s no way to solve the problem. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/aug/11/some-new-zealand-politicians-want-to-crack-down-on-gangs-thats-no-way-to-solve-the-problem