Former Police Minister Stuart Nash says he wanted greater police powers to target gang assets but was overruled by his former Cabinet colleagues.
The Labour government reformed the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act last March granting police new powers to target gang leaders' assets valued at, or exceeding, $30,000. It also forced associates of organised criminal groups to prove in a court of law their assets were obtained legitimately or face having them forfeited or frozen.
It comes as the Government moves forward with its crackdown on gangs, including a ban on gang patches in public spaces, and extra police powers to stop members from congregating.
Gang patches are already banned in schools, hospitals, courts and other premises managed by either central or local government.
Police Commissioner Andrew Coster said the new laws could be enforced "at the time", or through a search warrant to "send a clear message to those who might breach this law".
Six gold-plated Harley Davidson motorcycles owned by the Comanchero Motorcycle Gang was destroyed yesterday after they were seized in 2019 under the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act.
Nash called the destruction of the motorcycles "absolutely fantastic".
"It just highlighted this is the sort of stuff I think we need to do."
Nash said while he had "pushed hard on having a zero limit on unexplained wealth", he was overruled by then-Justice Minister Kiri Allan and then-Prime Minister Chris Hipkins.
Allan said at the time that the $30,000 limit was based on advice making it in line with the Bill of Rights Act.
"My view is the gangs need to be taken down. We need to give police absolutely every tool," Nash said.
Hipkins told 1News the previous government did great work targeting gangs, including work that led to the crushing of six Comanchero motorbikes yesterday. He further added that Cabinet debates are to remain confidential.
However, Nash said he didn't believe the previous government "was responsive, was fast enough to nail the crime issue".
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said in a post-Cabinet press conference that Nash's comments provided a "very interesting insight".
"It underscored, again, a Labour government soft on crime and again, Stuart Nash I think, in fairness, was on the right course."
But police officers in small towns like Ōpōtiki told Sunday removing gang patches will be impossible.
Senior Constable Pete King said while it was "theoretically a good idea", it is "unworkable with the numbers we don't have at the moment".
"It just will not work," he said.
Coster admitted that officers enforcing the ban in smaller towns "can be outnumbered", but additional staff can be brought in to combat the issue.
"We don't always have to win at the time but we will win in the end," he said.
Lifelong Ōpōtiki Mongrel Mob member Wairata Te Oneone likened gang patches to a uniform.
"The police have got their uniform and we've got our uniform. This one here overrules their one," he said, looking at his patched jacket.
Porirua Mayor Anita Baker was also dubious.
"How many police can they give us?" she asked. "We already don't have enough police as it is in New Zealand."
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