A series of new laws targeting gang activity will come into effect from midnight, marking a significant step in the government’s broader strategy to reduce crime, says Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith. These measures aim to disrupt gang operations and diminish their influence, but the direct impact on reducing victimisation remains uncertain.
Under the legislation, gang insignia will be prohibited in public spaces, limiting members’ ability to display their affiliations openly. Police will also gain enhanced powers to disperse large groups of gang members if their presence causes fear or intimidation. Additionally, non-consorting orders can be issued, preventing gang members from associating or communicating with one another for up to three years.
The laws introduce stricter sentencing measures by making gang membership an aggravating factor during sentencing, potentially leading to harsher penalties for gang-related crimes. These changes are part of a comprehensive approach to tackle organized crime and its broader societal impacts.
Goldsmith emphasized that these laws are only one aspect of the government’s wider goal to reduce serious victimisation by 20,000 incidents by 2029. While confident in the measures’ potential to disrupt gang operations, he acknowledged the complexity of crime and the difficulty in isolating the impact of any single intervention.
“The issue of course is that crime, as we know, is very complex,” Goldsmith said. “It’s impossible to identify what this one element of a broad plan is having on the overall effect.” However, a sustained reduction in crime statistics would indicate the effectiveness of these initiatives.
Goldsmith highlighted the importance of addressing underlying causes of crime as part of the government’s comprehensive strategy. Initiatives aimed at improving school attendance and reducing the number of children growing up in emergency housing are seen as critical steps in curbing youth crime.
“You’ve got to do 20 things consistently to tackle crime,” Goldsmith explained. “When you’ve made progress on them, start on a new bunch, and that’s what we’re doing.”
The government’s efforts extend beyond enforcement, focusing on prevention and the long-term social factors that contribute to criminal behaviour. By tackling issues such as poverty, education, and housing instability, the aim is to reduce the conditions that lead young people toward gang involvement.
Gangs represent a small fraction of the population—less than 0.25% of adults—but are disproportionately responsible for violent crime. Goldsmith noted that gangs are implicated in about 20% of homicides, underscoring their significant impact on public safety.
“So, we’re not going to make progress on our fundamental goal, which is to reduce the number of victims of violent crime in our society, without being more effective in tackling the gangs,” Goldsmith said.
The new laws are designed to disrupt gang networks and their activities while sending a clear message that gang violence and intimidation will not be tolerated. The government aims to weaken the organizational structures that allow gangs to perpetuate cycles of violence and crime.
When questioned about how the effectiveness of the new laws would be measured, Goldsmith admitted that the results might not be immediately clear. Crime reduction is influenced by numerous factors, making it challenging to attribute changes in statistics directly to specific laws. However, consistent progress in lowering crime rates over time would signal that these measures, in conjunction with other efforts, are working.
The introduction of these laws reflects a dual approach: strengthening enforcement against gangs while addressing the societal conditions that foster criminal behaviour. By targeting both immediate threats and long-term drivers of crime, the government hopes to achieve meaningful and lasting reductions in victimisation.
As these laws come into effect, their success will ultimately be judged by their ability to make communities safer and decrease the number of New Zealanders impacted by violent crime. The road ahead will require ongoing evaluation, adjustment, and a commitment to addressing crime’s root causes alongside its symptoms.
-TIN Bureau