Vigilantes halted

Press, 2 March 1981, Page 6

Vigilantes halted

PA Rotorua The Rotorua police prevented a group of 90 vigilantes in an 18-car convoy from attacking a gang headquarters- jn the city on .Saturday night. v? < flt’7®ould ; have been quite- ugly,” said SeniorSergeant S. E. Guy, of the Rotorua police, who with 13 : officers’ set up a roadblock in Malfroy Road to prevent a confrontation. “These people had met in two city hotels and decided to set out on their own and try to sort the gang out,” he said. A convoy of 18 cars with about 90 people in them left for the Malfroy Road address of the gang at 10.30 p.m. The vigilantes ranged In agq tt&w, 15 and 16-year-

olds to middle-aged people. “We stopped each vehicle at a road block, searched it, and told them they could not take the law into their own hands. “They were armed with . bats, clubs, , steel bars, and ; all sorts’- 7 of tools,- In- f eluding a?;, 70-centimetre ’ spanner.” Senior-Sergeant Guy.' said three gang members had been arrested earlier on Saturday night for possessing offensive weapons. There had been a number of problems in city hotels in recent weeks between gang members and members of the public, he said. Following a brawl in a hotel on Saturday night, the vigilante group was

formed with the idea of "working over” members of the gang, he said. “When we stopped the convoy and spoke to the people they were twite sensible about the whole thing,” said Senior-Ser- • geant Guy. ” ■ . ‘Thanks to the older ■ men, the younger ones agreed to desist,” he said. No matter how much harrassment was' caused, he said, it was the job of the police to maintain law and order. . Hie police would not allow members, of the public to take - matters into their hands, 'i/'-.-/ S' / . Several of the vigilante ■ group were questioned'at the Rotorua police station and inquiries were continuing lastevening.