Three arrests believed made on first morning of gang patch ban

Thursday, 21 November 2024

Three arrests are believed to have been made under the new ban on use of gang insignia in public.

The first arrest was in Hastings just three minutes after the law came into force, and was for an insignia on a car.

Two more arrests were believed to have been made, with Police Minister Mark Mitchell stating on social media they had occurred in Auckland and Wairoa.

Police are believed to have made three arrests in relation to the ban on use of gang patches and insignia in public.

The ban came into force at midnight and the first arrest was made at 12.03am in Hastings when a 51-year-old Napier man was issued with a summons for displaying gang insignia in public.

He was stopped by police on Southampton Street after officers observed a large Mongrel Mob sign on the dashboard of his car.

The man was issued a summons to appear in court at a later date and the sign was confiscated.

On Thursday afternoon, Police Minister Mark Mitchell posted to social media that two other people had been arrested around 11am.

“Just before 11 this morning, police in Wairoa apprehended a gang member for wearing a patch to the supermarket,” Mitchell wrote on X.

“At around the same time, a patched Mongrel Mob member was observed by police standing in the street in Papakura.

“Both were arrested, and will face enforcement action.”

Stuff also understands a gang member was arrested by Counties Manukau police wearing a patch while allegedly stealing a car.

When police arrested the man at his home in Ōtara they allegedly found six patches.

A source told Stuff the man refused to tell police which one he was wearing during the incident, so police seized all six.

The controversial gang patches ban came into effect at midnight.

Gang insignia are now banned in all public places, courts can issue non-consorting orders, and police have related increased arrest powers.