20 August 2013

Police Minister to investigate US gang strategies

Police Minister Anne Tolley is travelling to the United States from 21-31 August to look at strategies aimed at reducing gang crime and the harm caused by gangs to families and communities.

The Minister will have meetings with a number of agencies including the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, LAPD, FBI, New Jersey Police Department, NYPD, New York Gang Investigators Association and the New York Department of Corrections, and will also visit a number of community strategies on the ground in Los Angeles and New York.

“Crime is at a thirty-year low in New Zealand and recorded offences have fallen by 16.7 per cent over the last three years, but we are focused on reducing crime even further,” says Mrs Tolley.

“That means a smarter approach to tackling gangs, which through organised crime and drug dealing are responsible for much of the crime in this country. It’s estimated that around a third of prisoners belong to gangs.

“Police advise that gangs are now working together for the sake of making profits, and are more sophisticated in the way they operate.

“We want to explore a long-term approach on how to turn young people away from joining gangs, support members to exit these criminal organisations and strengthen law enforcement. This will be the focus of the trip to the United States.

“Agencies here, led by Police, have already started working together to review intelligence and assess initiatives already in place. This work includes Corrections, Justice, MSD, Education, Health, Customs and Inland Revenue.

“There is no quick-fix to this issue, and our next step is to develop some practical and targeted ideas which can have an impact in the years ahead.”

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