Assistant Commissioner Paul Basham Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Police will not hesitate to confiscate motorcycles under the new gang patch legislation, Assistant Commissioner Paul Basham says.
He told Checkpoint there have been high levels of compliance so far, with a handful of arrests and prosecutions on day one of a complete ban on gang patches in public places.
In some instances, the police's approach of education and engagement had worked, with some gangs encouraging members to stay on the right side of the law.
"We've seen some evidence of gang members making good choices in terms of the high level of compliance."
However, the ban would also apply to motorcycles bearing gang insignia.
"It's within the law, it's part of the purpose of the legislation. Again, we've been able to educate, encourage through the engagement period.
"We've had questions about that very thing and so we've been able to be very clear about what the law covers in that regard."
The motorbikes would then be used as exhibits in any prosecution, Basham said.
So far, no motorbikes had been seized under the new law, however, in the past they had been taken by police in many of their inquiries into criminal activity.
"So for us this is another piece of legislation that we can use to have an impact on unlawful gang behaviour so we're not troubled or worried by the possibility of having to deal with gang members in that context."
In Wairoa, where some gang members had made public statements on not abiding by the law, Basham said there would be a consistent approach from police in enforcing the law.
Discussing the training officers had undergone before the new law came into effect, he said officer safety was of major importance when dealing with gang members.
However, some officers' claims to RNZ that they had been told to get an email address from gang members so they could be contacted later about possible prosecutions was "a misrepresentation of that part of the Act" around dispersal.
The section of the Act relating to having a way of contacting gang members had been discussed at some length during the select committee process and was included in the legislation for a purpose, he said.
In a statement, Basham said the message to gang members remained the same.
"Parliament has passed a law, it's our job to enforce the law, and we will be enforcing it.
"If you wear a gang patch in public, or display a sign or symbol associated with a gang, you can expect the attention of police, either at the time of the offence, or at a time that suits us."
