Broad daylight gang fights in major shopping malls reflect the sad state of law and order under Labour, National’s Police spokesperson Mark Mitchell says.

Families at Auckland’s Sylvia Park were left terrified after witnessing a brawl between gang members this week, in which one offender was armed with a knife.

“The Labour Government’s soft approach to crime has created an environment where record numbers of gang members believe they have total impunity,” Mr Mitchell says.

“They know they won’t face tough consequences for criminal actions, and therefore don’t hesitate to pull out a knife in a busy mall and threaten others.

“There is significant human cost to families that witness this type of extreme violence while sitting in a food court during the middle of the day, and it’s why Kiwis feel less safe in their own country.

“The rising prevalence of gangs is utterly unacceptable to National. That’s why we have announced extensive policies to crack down on these criminal groups that peddle misery in our communities.”

A National government will:

• Ban gang patches in public places.
• Allow police to issue dispersal notices where gang members come together in public to intimidate, threaten, and sometimes assault members of the public.
• Giving police non-association powers to prevent gang members from communicating and planning criminal activity.
• Equip police with the warrantless search powers they need to take the guns out of the hands of violent armed gang members.
• Crack down on serious youth offenders by creating young offender military academies and wrap support around them.
• Make membership of a gang an aggravating factor when it comes to sentencing, so gang members convicted of an offence face tougher consequences for their crimes.

“Kiwis see the Labour Government for what it is - utterly soft on crime and more sympathetic to offenders rather than victims.

“National's message is clear: If you choose to align yourself with a criminal gang and engage in criminal activities, you will face more severe consequences.

“Only National will restore law and order in New Zealand.

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