A growing number of officers have been "riled" by the Government's funding of a gang-led methamphetamine programme, questioning whether it's worth the risk of policing gangs who are armed, dangerous, and dealing the harmful drug.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday defended the $2.75 million used from proceeds of crime funding that was given to a Mongrel Mob-led meth rehabilitation programme.
She admitted during an afternoon post-Cabinet briefing she had been one of the ministers involved in making the decision to fund it.
"We have to make a decision in New Zealand.
"We either want to fund programmes that, yes, will have people involved in them who have a criminal history but who are determined to address the meth addiction, or we exclude people with criminal histories from meth programmes," Ardern said.
"I, for one, wanted to stop victimisation and so that means we will be offering programmes to people who have a criminal past."
However, in a statement today, the New Zealand Police Association said it "totally rejects" the payment.
Association President Chris Cahill said he had been contacted by officers asking why they should even bother making the huge commitment and taking the risks they do to bring to account gangs who are armed, dangerous, and dealing meth on a massive scale, when the money is just going to go back to the gangs.
"One officer likened it to the most successful money laundering scheme he’d heard," Cahill said.
"Police take $2m of dirty money - as they recently did from the Notorious chapter of the Mongrel Mob in Operation Dusk in Hawke’s Bay - and the Government returns $2.75m in clean money to people so closely linked to the same gang."
The National leader says Paul Hunt sent the wrong message by giving $200 to the Mongrel Mob's Waikato chapter. (Source: Other)
Cahill said the association’s criticism was not directed at drug rehabilitation initiatives, but that its members were "clearly angry that police hierarchy and the Ministry of Health consider a gang such as Notorious Mongrel Mob, which is responsible for the majority of meth dealing in central Hawke’s Bay, should now be trusted stewards of millions of dollars to fix a problem they are instrumental in creating".
He compared the funding to "a pharmacy infecting its customers with a cold, and then selling them cold medication", adding that the money should be spent at other addiction services, many of which were crying out for help.
"It is difficult to understand how those who promote the need for drug rehabilitation seem blind to the dreadful optics of this Mongrel Mob scenario - let alone have faith in this multi-million-dollar scheme to do anything but line the pockets of key gang leaders."
In response, Ardern said the Government had not done "what the Police Association claims".
"This programme is about addressing meth addition and in addressing meth addiction, trying to address criminality related to meth addition."
She said local police supported the funding and suggested communication on the issue between the local police association and the national association.
Earlier this week, Ardern said the programme, which ran for a "short time" in 2020, was based off a 2010 programme which was part of the then-National Government's methamphetamine action plan.
Ardern said the programme was "very much focused" on trying to address meth addiction and the crime which often results from it.
"It is not new and it would be a shame to see a political party that once supported addressing meth addiction and crime-related meth addiction, from stepping away from that, which now appears to be the case."
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