A former Whakatāne police officer, sick of locking up gang members has started a new mentoring service.
Waata Heathcote now runs whānau events for those who want to break cycles of violence and it's caught the eye of one Government department.
"When you get to find out the story the trauma and the triggers that have caused this dysfunction in their lives, then you have a whole new emphasis in terms of why they've continued to lead down the track they've continued to lead on," Heathcote told 1 NEWS.
Harlem Shelford was once a Blackpower member who has traded his patch and credits in for a new life.
"Police chases, drug dealing, firearms, dealing mischief stuff, getting pulled over in stolen cars and then telling them [laughs] 'oh I didn't know it was stolen'," Shelford says of his former life.
But intensive ongoing counselling and full wrap-around support kept him out of jail.
Now he plans to study.
"So my vision is I want to help everyone and anyone so if I can I will wrap my arms around you. I've got a big set of wings and they're really strong at the moment."
Shelford is one of 36 men and their families that Heathcote has helped over the past year.
In that time, three have returned to jail but the the Ministry of Social Development says it's supportive of the program, which is making a "huge difference" in men's lives.
"They're the most resilient people I have ever met. All they need is someone to believe in them and that's what we've done," Heathcote says.
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