Gang trouble linked with unemployed

Press, 31 March 1981, Page 1

Gang trouble linked with unemployed

Parliamentary reporter Employment, or the lack of it, was. one of the obvious problems in the growth of gangs in New Zealand, said the Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) yesterday. He made the comment when he announced the Government's intention to set up a special committee to deal with the question of gangs. The’ chairman will be the member of Parliament for Wellington Central and Under-Secre-tary of Internal Affairs (Mr Comber), and its

members will include the deputy heads of several Government departments. The committee’s brief will be a very general one. to recommend “what should be done to deal with gangs,” and it will be required to report back to the Government within a month. It will also have before if a detailed "report oh. gangs which Mr Muldoon received from the Commissioner of Police (Mr R. J. Wa'ion) last week. This vas based on reports from District . Commanders throughout New Zealand on the gang problems in their own areas, and has already been studied by the Minister of Justice (Mr McLay). It is believed that some of the proposals put forward by the police would require changes to the law, end it is also believed that there was. criticism <:f the delays and difficulties in the prompt handling cf cases involving gangs in the courts. Mr Muldoon said that he intended to invite the secretary of the Police Association (Dr R. A.Moodie) to be a member of the committee. Mr Muldoon said that at the end of last year the gang issue appeared io have “quietened down,” but it was now f obvious that that was not the case. “There is evidence of recruiting and, in some places, the establishment of fortified dwellings, which cannot be condoned,” he said. “One,obvious, problem is the question of employment, and there is evidence that when we can provide jobs, particularly jobs that they can do together, we will not have the same problems.” Asked if the reports from the police had recommended a ’’get tough” line, Mr Muldoon said that they had contained many proposals, from changes to the law to equipment. .