Watch: Gang member says police are ‘coming down stupidly’ on gangs

Thursday, 28 November 2024

Roka Dog says it was 'rude and disrespectful' for police to be at the tangi in Tauranga on Thursday in such great numbers.

The headline on this blog initially read: Watch: Gang member says police are coming down too hard on gangs. That has been changed to accurately reflect what Roka Dog said.

The funeral for a prominent Mongrel Mob member began in Tauranga with a heavy police presence monitoring the event.

Stuff understands the funeral is for Mongrel Mob Notorious Captain Wayne George Kelly, also known as Ned Kelly, and his wife, who died a day after him.

The funeral is at Huria Marae in the suburb of Judea.

Police have called in extra staff and their helicopter and are ready to respond to unlawful activity if it arises.

Police gathering in Tauranga for a gang tangi that is expected to bring our large numbers of gang members, days after the patch ban came into effect.

It's understood new police commissioner Richard Chambers attended a large briefing on Thursday morning via zoom and briefly spoke with the staff ahead of the tangi.

Police called in extra resources for Thursday’s gathering, including the police helicopter.

Police have already been monitoring the movements of gang members and associates across Tauranga and Western Bay of Plenty.

They said that so far the majority of funeral attendees have been displaying good judgement and not engaging in unlawful behaviour.

Warnings were issued on Wednesday for locals to expect to see more police in the area.

However, police did arrest three Mongrel Mob members, two aged 32 and one aged 31, who were charged for wearing various items of clothing displaying Mongrel Mob insignia.

They are due to appear in the Tauranga District Court on December 2.

A 32-year-old patched East Side member was also arrested on unrelated charges of shoplifting.

Members of the Mongrel Mob at a hui at Opotiki.

Police have been running checkpoints across the district and were watching as a convoy carrying the deceased drove through Tauranga on Wednesday.

During the procession, three motorbikes were seized after allegedly being used to disrupt traffic and block roads across Tauranga.

Police are asking attendees at the funeral to make good choices and that there is no place for unlawful activity.

They say they will take enforcement action against anyone breaking the law.

The funeral is understood to be the first significant test for police under the new gang patch legislation.

The legislation came into force on November 21.