A senior member of Black Power Aotearoa Auckland says he is concerned about the impact the Government’s gang patch ban will have on families.
The Gangs Legislation Amendment Bill comes into effect on Thursday, making it an offence to display gang insignias in public places.
Police have said displaying patches will not be tolerated and officers were ready to enforce the news rules.
Black Power Aotearoa senior member, Puks*, said insignias were not the problem.
“What people wear is not the issue, bro,” he said. “It’s people’s behaviours, be it gang members or not, at the end of the day when it comes to the law, you do the bloody crime, you do the time.
“Everybody knows those sort of things.”
Auckland police have seized more than $11 million worth of assets from gangs since the start of this year, more than four times what was seized in the same period last year.
Data provided to RNZ through the Official Information Act revealed that $11.69m worth of cash, jewellery, vehicles, residential property, and other assets were restrained from gangs in the Auckland area from January to October 2024.
Puks was worried about the fallout, not only on gang members, but those associated with them also.
“My biggest concern around the legislation is the safety of people’s homes.
“Be it affiliates, known members, family members, where’s the defining line?”
He said he was telling his own crew not to wear regalia in public.
“Obviously, when we’re in our own private functions, be it birthdays or on wānanga, doing wānanga, educational programmes within our own space and that, then boys can wear what they want,” he said.
“But obviously, the law states out there in the public world, we’re not allowed to.”
There had been ongoing dialogue between gangs and the police, Puks said.
“There have been a lot of leaders out there who have engaged with [Assistant Commissioner Investigations] Paul Basham, who have engaged with the gang harm reduction team, liaison teams, just to get some clarity over time,” he said.
“I suppose you’ve just got to work with the willing, bro.”
Police said there were 9384 patched or prospect gang members recorded on the National Gang list as of September 2024.
More than 530 were in the Waitematā police district, 355 were in Auckland City, and 979 were in Counties Manukau.
Puks said he did not want his family facing consequences if he were to break the rules.
“I’m a member, bro,” he said.
“If I go bucking legislation, if I go out there in the public wearing gang regalia and all that sort of thing, then that gives the police the rights to come back to my house, bro, and in what capacity, and in the way that they do that, we don’t know.
“Why should my family, my family members have to contend or go through that because of a stupid decision that I’ve made?”
He said members would navigate the new legislation as best and as safely as they could.
“As time moves on, all we can do is just try and navigate through this space and time as best we can, and as safely as we can,” Puks said.
“I believe that loop-holes will show up.
“At the end of the day, they can say that what we wear is intimidating to the public, what the police wear is intimidating to our people.”
Puks said whānau safety was front of mind.
“If you believe it is wrong, then stand,” he said.
* RNZ has agreed not to use his real name.
rnz.co.nz
