Another gang shooting just days after a child was nearly shot by a gang member shows just how bad New Zealand’s gang problem is, National’s Justice spokesperson Mark Mitchell says.

“Today a house in suburban Tauranga recently tenanted by a gang was shot at a number of times. Media reports it is gang related and stems from a serious assault that occurred in the weekend.

“How many gang related incidents is it going to take until the Government changes its weak on crime attitude and starts showing leadership?

“This is just another example of the violence surrounding gangs. There was a stabbing in The Strand in Tauranga recently as well, and today we had reports of children as young as five wearing gang patches.

“New Zealand needs a concrete plan to disrupt gangs. This Government has created a permissive environment due to it’s soft on crime policies.

“National’s policies would crack down on gangs. Our taskforce modelled on ‘Strike Force Raptor’ will be solely dedicated to harassing and interrupting gang activity every single day. We would ban gang insignia and patches in public places too.

“We’ve also tried to get the Government to pick up our Firearms Prohibition Orders which would give Police more powers to search and take firearms off gang members.

“This shooting happened in the community and it’s lucky no one was hurt. New Zealanders shouldn’t have to worry about violence occurring in their streets.

“National’s tough on crime policies alongside our social investment approach will see a Government led by us focusing on stopping gangs peddling misery in our communities.”

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