Jail ‘no answer’ to problem of gang violence

Press, 17 January 1979, Page 2

Jail ‘no answer’ to problem of gang violence

PA Hamilton; Gang violence had to be j met by means other than; putting gang members; behind bars, said the Police Association and the Prime • Minister (Mr Muldoon) | yesterday, in separate com-! ments on the issue. The secretary of thei Police Association (Dr R.! Moodie) expressed the asso-'i elation's concern about the; growing trend towards violent gang clashes; and Mr' Muldoon agreed with Dr; Moodie that prison terms! were not the answer. The answer lay in turning gangs into constructive; members of society, Mr Muldoon said. Dr Moodie said that the! continual tracking of roving; gang members during the' holiday period had put a tre-; mendous imposition on' police and their families. “The police are finding it j hard going — it is the po-i tentiai for violence that I creates problems,” he said. The police presence was; necessary under present con-1 ditions because the gang! people tended to “dominate"; the resorts they went to. ' Dr Moodie said it was ani indictment on gang members ' that they were grown men who needed a police escort! when they went on holiday. More laws and hard pris-' on terms were not the! answer, he said. “Deal them out harsh! measures and they will deal li out society more violence; when they get out of prison,” he said. Mr Muldoon saw the : answer to the problem in!:

(turning gangs into construe-! itive members ot society. ; ‘We have given the police; ; adequate laws so that they ;are strengthened, not weajkened," he said. I Asked if he thought the; I police and Government! ;agencies would be seen as! '.bending over backwards to! ideal with gangs, Mr Mul-i ;doon said: “These people are! ; going to be with us for a; : long time and it is no soluI tion to put them in prison| land have them spend the! “rest of their lives in the (place.” “It is very logical to want; Ito see them as constructive; ;members ot the community." ; Dr Moodie said the gang! (could not be dealt with in; (“our terms — in the terms! lof the police and responsible: (society.” There was no easy answer; (to the problems, especially; (with the present high unem-j (ployment. Dr Moodie said that as] gang members were begin-1 jning to arm themselves] (the police had to act to; (seize the weapons. I “It has got to the point] where the police are protetc-l jing gang members against] ! themselves. ’ “We know they cannot (come to terms with society (at large but that they cannot (come to terms with their own society is pathetic. (These people walk big, walk tall, but they have an unreal I image of themselves.” They should not be desIpised because this only imade a disoriented personality even worse, Dr Moodie I said.