Gang promises to 'uphold truce’

Press, 21 August 1979, Page 19

Gang promises to 'uphold truce’

PA Auckland Auckland Stormtrooper gang members say they will uphold their truce with the Black Power gang “even to the extent of turning the other cheek.*’ The decision, taken at a meeting of the gang at the week-end, coincided with the Minister of Maori Affairs (Mr Couch) saying he was pinning his hopes of easing the gang problem on widening the truce between the two gangs.

The big breakthrough at the meeting of gang leaders Mr Couch called at Parliament Buildings last Thursday was the pact between the Stormtroopers and the Black Power gang. Stormtrooper members from the Auckland region unanimously accepted their leaders’ recommendations at the week-end meeting, a gang spokesman, Mr Jack Temara, said.

“I am very happy about what came out of the meeting, and I-feel it augurs well for a peaceful future. The

over-all feeling at the meet- < ing wah that ‘peace is best’.” > Stormtrooper members i would take certain steps to 1 avoid possible confrontations, j such as refraining from in- 1 dulging in offensive salutes I and exchanges of insults. i In the event of Black Power members attacking : their members there would 1 be no retaliation until certain i procedures had been fol- < lowed, Mr Temara said. Members would have to re- I port back to gang leaders. If they took the law into their < own hands they could expect I to be disciplined by their H own leaders. “In most cases, anyway, I : they do not take the law into; their own hands, because if 1 they are attacked, they 1 usually have to call on some*: backup. “With the feelings of the leaders the way they are at the moment I fee) it is un- 1 likely there would be any re-1 taliation.” The gang would in many cases refer complaints of assault to the police rather than take their own action.

: and the Stormtroopers planned, in any event, to make more use of the police, Mr Temara said. i He rejected the suggestion [ that not to fight back would hurt the pride of the gang members. “Our boys did not join the gang just for the fighting,” Ihe said. “We want to be 'more of a community ind 'other sorts of things. We I were not formed to be rumbling (fighting) all the time.” Members of his gang had expressed confidence in the Black Power gang to keep I the truce. “We know there are a few | stirrers on both sides, and I that this will be the main job ■of the chapter leaders, to 'control the stirrers and make j sure trouble is kept to a minimum,” he said. i There had been doubt and 5 dissension from gang mem- ■ bers initially, but after a long I meeting the decision to make the truce work was carried unanimously, Mr Temara said.