Gangs

Cleaning up youth gangs

Increasing youth gang violence and anti-social behaviour in the past year has prompted an intensive police response in Auckland's Western Area.

Area Commander Inspector Jim Wilson says street robberies, use of weapons, violence and drug use by youth gangs have become a major concern for police and the community.

At least two victims of youth gang violence have been seriously assaulted in the past year. One man received life-threatening injuries ending up in a drug-induced coma. Another had to have over $22,000 worth of dental repairs after being struck with a golf club.

“The gangs mass text to communicate with each other and there can be 40 vehicles turn up within minutes of a text going out,” says Jim.

“In one incident in March between 80 to 100 youth gang members, some of them armed, confronted each other. Every available police patrol in Auckland was needed to restore order.

“We started a range of proactive and reactive measures designed to immediately reduce the level of offending.”

Operation Clean-up is a series of on-going intensive initiatives which see more than 50 staff out on the street in teams stopping carloads of gang members and picking up offenders. Each �clean-up’ has resulted in more than 60 arrests.

Phil Goff, MP for Mount Roskill, accompanied police on the second �clean-up’ and was impressed at the execution and the results of the operation, says Jim.

“We intend to continue with these operations.”

As part of the crime reduction strategy police have also targeted licensed premises and tinny houses selling alcohol and drugs to local youth gang members.

A more long-term