Gang patches will be banned in public places from November 21, part of a raft of measures the Government hopes will "crack down" on gangs peddling "misery and intimidation".
The measures were passed into law this afternoon.
The Gangs Legislation Amendment Bill is now law, and includes banning gang insignia in all public places, as well as enabling courts to issue non-consorting orders, and allowing police to stop criminal gangs from associating and communicating, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith said.
"Greater weight will also be given to gang membership at sentencing, enabling courts to impose more severe punishments, as committed to in the National, ACT and NZ First Coalition agreements."
From November 21, gang insignia will be outlawed in all public places. (Source: 1News)
He said gang membership had increased 51% over the past five years, and violent crime had increased 33%.
Repeat offenders continually convicted of displaying their patches in public would be subject to a new court order, Goldsmith said, which would prohibit them from possessing any gang insignia either in public — or private — for five years.
Gang insignia displayed from inside a car would also be covered by the patch ban.
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith. (Source: 1News)
"Police will be better equipped to target disruptive gang events, with the power to issue dispersal notices to break up public gang gatherings and to place a non-association order on those involved for the week following the event," Goldsmith said.
"Non-consorting orders issued by the courts will prevent the most serious gang criminals from associating and communicating with one another for three years, where there is a risk of them planning or committing further gang crime.
"Gang members make up less than one quarter of one per cent of the New Zealand adult population, yet are linked to 18% of all serious violent crime, 19 per cent of all homicides, 23 per cent of all firearms offences, 25 per cent of all kidnapping and abductions, and 25 per cent of all the crime harm caused by illicit drug offences.
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"This Government is committed to ensuring there are 20,000 fewer victims of violent crime by 2029, and reducing serious youth offending by 15 per cent.
"Part of that is ensuring is gang members are no longer able to wreak havoc throughout our communities. Our message to them is clear, the days of behaving like you are above the law, are over."
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