Police Minister Mark Mitchell has a message for gangs.
He says there will be funding in this month’s Budget for a National Gang Unit to be up and running by July 1, supported by regional teams across the country.
That’s on top of the addition powers the Government has given police to crack down on gangs, including banning gang patches in public places and stopping gang members congregating.
“We want to send out a very clear message; if you continue to peddle drugs, if you continue to perpetuate violent sexual offending in our community, if you continue to break the law and think you’re above the law, then under this Government things are going to change radically,” Minister Mitchell says.
Labour’s police spokesperson Ginny Andersen slated the minister for rolling out Police Commissioner Andy Coster for a rebrand of National’s approach to gang crime, while Greens spokesperson Tamatha Paul says it’s a misguided policy that will fail because it doesn’t address the conditions that allow gangs to thrive, such as poverty and a lack of opportunity.
