Gang patch

Last updated

Highway 61 gang members, with patch clearly displayed Highwaymen NZ.JPG
Highway 61 gang members, with patch clearly displayed

A gang patch in New Zealand refers to the identifying insignia of a street gang. Patches have been linked[ by whom? ] to intimidation of members of the public by gang members. Gang patches perform much the same identification role as gang colours do in other countries.

Contents

Each of the country's gangs has its own forms of insignia, of which the most prominent is often a large symbol, frequently worn by members on their clothing as a symbol of their gang membership. The patch is often seen[ by whom? ] as being as important to gang members as a military flag is to members of an army group, and any insult to the patch is taken as being an insult to the gang as a whole. [1]

As such, the term has a more general meaning. Being a "patched" member of a gang is to be a fully initiated member of the gang – and often a ranking member of the gang's structure. The physical patches are highly valued and have been used[ by whom? ] with some success in negotiations. [2] [ need quotation to verify ]

Legality

Sign on the Cook Strait ferry DEV Arahura prohibiting the display of gang patches NO GANG PATCHES sign on the Cook Strait ferry Arahura's vehicle deck.JPG
Sign on the Cook Strait ferry DEV Arahura prohibiting the display of gang patches

Wanganui District Council legislation

The explanatory notes to the "Wanganui District Council (Prohibition of Gang Insignia) Bill", a local bill introduced into the New Zealand Parliament by then Whanganui MP Chester Borrows, records that the Wanganui District Council already had an informal policy that prohibited wearing or displaying gang insignia in public buildings. [3] However, as result of attacks on police and the 5 May 2007 murder of two-year old Jhia Te Tua during a drive-by gang shooting, the council sought the legal power to make bylaws that prohibited wearing gang insignia in designated spaces. [3] [4] [5] [6] The bill received Royal Assent on 9 May 2009 and came into force the next day as the Wanganui District Council (Prohibition of Gang Insignia) Act 2009. [7] [8]

Wanganui District Council then passed bylaws banning the wearing of gang insignia, or patches and similar symbols, within parts of their jurisdiction. [9] [10] The ban was tested by judicial review in a hearing before Clifford J in November 2010. The judge reserved his decision. [11]

Government premises

On 28 June 2012, Rotorua MP Todd McClay, introduced the "Prohibition of Gang Insignia in Government Premises Bill" into the New Zealand Parliament. [12] The stated aim of the bill was to "provide an environment free from gang intimidation" in all Government premises, including schools, hospitals and local authority premises, as well as those of central government. [13] The bill, which had very similar provisions to the Wanganui District Council legislation, received Royal assent on 12 August 2013 and became law as the Prohibition of Gang Insignia in Government Premises Act 2013. [14]

In February 2024, The Sixth National Government of New Zealand comprising the National Party, ACT Party and New Zealand First announced plans to ban Gang patches in public. [15] [16] [17]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Politics of New Zealand</span> Unitary parliamentary representative democracy

The politics of New Zealand function within a framework of an independent, unitary, parliamentary democracy. The system of government is based on the Westminster system, and the legal system is modelled on the common law of England. New Zealand is a constitutional monarchy in which King Charles III is the sovereign and head of state, while his prime minister serves as the head of government.

Michael Laws is a New Zealand politician, broadcaster and writer. Laws was a Member of Parliament for six years, starting in 1990, initially for the National Party. In Parliament he voted against his party on multiple occasions and in 1996 defected to the newly founded New Zealand First party, but resigned from Parliament the same year following a scandal in which he selected a company part-owned by his wife for a government contract.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whanganui River</span> Major river in the North Island of New Zealand

The Whanganui River is a major river in the North Island of New Zealand. It is the country's third-longest river, and has special status owing to its importance to the region's Māori people. In March 2017 it became the world's second natural resource to be given its own legal identity, with the rights, duties and liabilities of a legal person. The Whanganui Treaty settlement brought the longest-running litigation in New Zealand history to an end.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chester Borrows</span> New Zealand politician (1957–2023)

Kerry James "Chester" Borrows was a New Zealand National Party politician who served as a Member of the New Zealand Parliament (MP) from 2005 to 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Todd McClay</span> New Zealand politician (born 1968)

Todd Michael McClay is a New Zealand politician and former ambassador. He is the Member of Parliament for Rotorua. He was previously an ambassador for the Cook Islands and Niue to the European Union.

Under New Zealand law, a licensing trust is a community-owned company with a government-authorised monopoly on the development of premises licensed for the sale of alcoholic beverages and associated accommodation in an area. This applies to both on-licence and off-licence sales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gangs in New Zealand</span> Criminal gangs in New Zealand

There are numerous gangs in New Zealand, of varying criminality, organisation and ethnicity, including outlaw motorcycle gangs, street gangs and ethnically based gangs. A chapter of the Hells Angels motorcycle club was formed in Auckland in 1961, the first Hells Angels chapter outside the US. Soon after, the Mongrel Mob formed in Hastings and Wellington, developing into a predominantly Māori and Pacific Islander gang, and having the largest membership in the country. Through the 1960s and 1970s, other outlaw motorcycle clubs and ethnically based gangs formed, including another predominantly Māori gang, Black Power, which grew to rival the Mongrel Mob.

The gun laws of New Zealand are contained in the Arms Act 1983 statute, which includes multiple amendments including those that were passed subsequent to the 1990 Aramoana massacre and the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eugenie Sage</span> New Zealand politician

Eugenie Meryl Sage is a environmentalist and former New Zealand politician. Since the 2011 election, she has been a Green Party list MP in the House of Representatives and served as the Minister of Conservation and Land Information and the Associate Minister for the Environment from 2017 to 2020. She concluded her parliamentary term following the 2023 New Zealand general election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wanganui District Council (Prohibition of Gang Insignia) Act 2009</span> Act of Parliament in New Zealand

The Wanganui District Council Act 2009 is an Act of Parliament passed in New Zealand in 2009. It empowered the Wanganui District Council to ban gang insignia in specified areas within the district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Goldsmith (politician)</span> New Zealand politician

Paul Jonathan Goldsmith is a New Zealand historian and politician. The biographer of several leading right-wing political and business figures, he was first elected a list member of the New Zealand House of Representatives for the National Party at the 2011 election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Mitchell (New Zealand politician)</span> New Zealand politician

Mark Patrick Mitchell is a New Zealand politician, former police officer and security contractor, and a member of the New Zealand House of Representatives since 2011. He is a member of the National Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simeon Brown</span> New Zealand politician

Simeon Peter Brown is a New Zealand politician and Member of Parliament in the House of Representatives for the National Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sixth Labour Government of New Zealand</span> Government of New Zealand (2017–2023)

The Sixth Labour Government governed New Zealand from 26 October 2017 to 27 November 2023. It was headed first by Jacinda Ardern and later by Chris Hipkins, as Labour Party leader and prime minister.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Community boards in New Zealand</span>

In New Zealand, community boards are governed by the provisions of Part 4 of the Local Government Act 2002 and can be created, or dissolved by territorial authorities, 40 out of 78 of which have 111 boards. In addition Auckland has 21 local boards and some councils have community committees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Debbie Ngarewa-Packer</span> New Zealand politician and Māori leader

Debbie Anne Ngarewa-Packer is a New Zealand politician, iwi leader and activist. She is a Member of Parliament and co-leader of Te Pāti Māori alongside Rawiri Waititi, and is the chief executive of the Ngāti Ruanui iwi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prohibition of Gang Insignia in Government Premises Act 2013</span> Act of Parliament in New Zealand

The Prohibition of Gang Insignia in Government Premises Act 2013 is legislation passed by the New Zealand Parliament on 7 August 2013, which went into effect when given royal assent on the 12 August 2013. The act prevents "gang insignia" defined in the act as —

a) a sign, symbol, or representation commonly displayed to denote member of, an affiliation with, or support for a gang, not being a tattoo; and b) includes any item of clothing to which a sign, symbol, or representation referred to in paragraph (a) is attached.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shadow Cabinet of Christopher Luxon</span> Former Shadow Cabinet of New Zealand under Christopher Luxon

The Shadow Cabinet of Christopher Luxon formed the official Opposition in the 53rd New Zealand Parliament from December 2021 to November 2023, replacing the Shadow Cabinet of Judith Collins. Christopher Luxon was appointed Leader of the National Party and Leader of the Opposition in a party leadership election on 30 November 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russia Sanctions Act 2022</span> Act of Parliament in New Zealand

The Russia Sanctions Act 2022 is an Act of Parliament passed by the New Zealand Parliament that establishes the framework for autonomous sanctions against Russia in response to its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. This legislation would allow sanctions to be placed on those responsible for or associated with the Russian invasion of Ukraine including people, services, companies and assets. The Sanctions Act also allows for sanctions to be imposed on other states complicit with Russian aggression including Belarus. On 9 March 2022, the Russian Sanctions Act passed with unanimous support from all parties represented in Parliament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Smoked Tobacco) Amendment Act 2022</span> Act of Parliament in New Zealand

The Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Amendment Act 2022 is an act of the New Zealand Parliament that seeks to combat smoking by limiting the number of retailers allowed to sell smoked tobacco products; ban the sale of smoked tobacco products to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009; and to discourage the consumption of smoked tobacco products. The bill passed its third reading on 13 December 2022 and received royal assent on 16 December 2022. The new National-led coalition government announced in late November 2023 that they intended to repeal the legislation. The Smokefree legislation was repealed under urgency on 28 February 2024.

References

  1. ↑ "Gang patch not worth it – judge". Dominion Post. Stuff. NZPA. 19 May 2009. Archived from the original on 25 July 2019. Retrieved 6 June 2022– via Stuff (www.stuff.co.nz).
  2. ↑ Calman, Matt (19 May 2009). "Gang to get killer's Mob patch back". Stuff.co.nz . Dominion Post. Archived from the original on 21 May 2009. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
  3. 1 2 Borrows, Chester (22 November 2007). "Wanganui District Council (Prohibition Of Gang Insignia) Bill 2007 (171–1) (Local)". www.nzlii.org. New Zealand Legal Information Institute. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  4. ↑ "Gangs and crime". teara.govt.nz. New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu Taonga. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  5. ↑ "12 convicted over Wanganui toddler's death". RNZ News. RNZ (Radio New Zealand). 12 December 2008. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  6. ↑ Scott, Tom. "Jhia Te Tua's death". teara.govt.nz. New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu Taonga. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  7. ↑ "Wanganui District Council (Prohibition of Gang Insignia) Act 2009 No 1". www.legislation.govt.nz. New Zealand Legislation. 1 July 2013. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  8. ↑ "Gang patch ban power passed". Taranaki Daily News. Stuff Limited. Fairfax. 17 May 2009. Retrieved 12 June 2022– via stuff.co.nz.
  9. ↑ "New weapon in fight against gangs". TVNZ. 7 May 2009. Archived from the original on 9 May 2009. Retrieved 18 May 2009.
  10. ↑ "Gang patch ban will go nationwide: Laws". Otago Daily Times. 10 May 2009. Retrieved 18 May 2009.
  11. ↑ "Gang patch bylaw too broad and vague, lawyers say". Whanganui Chronicle. NZ Herald. court reporter. 18 November 2010. Retrieved 12 June 2022– via www.nzherald.co.nz.
  12. ↑ "Prohibition of Gang Insignia in Government Premises Bill 33-1 (2012), Members Bill". www.legislation.govt.nz. New Zealand Legislation. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  13. ↑ "Explanatory note – Prohibition of Gang Insignia in Government Premises Bill 33-1 (2012), Members Bill". www.legislation.govt.nz. New Zealand Legislation. 28 June 2012. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  14. ↑ "Prohibition of Gang Insignia in Government Premises Act 2013 No 56". www.legislation.govt.nz. New Zealand Legislation. 28 October 2021. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  15. ↑ "Govt says police commissioner '100% onboard' with new anti-gang laws".
  16. ↑ "New law to give police, courts greater powers in gang crackdown". Radio New Zealand . 25 February 2024.
  17. ↑ "Crackdown: $5k fine for wearing gang patch in public under new law". 14 March 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.