Crimes spate puts police at stretch

Press, 2 April 1985, Page 1

Crimes spate puts police at stretch

Gang-related problems which have led to a spate of serious crime in Christchurch are stretching the resources of the city’s police. The police will also have to help provide security for the tour of the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, which will begin in Christchurch on Friday. Chief Superintendent John Jamieson said yesterday: “The police are extremely busy and working to capacity. There has been a spate of murders and other serious crime. “We are continuing to have clashes between gangs; and the first of the demonstrations for the proposed All Black tour was on Friday.” The Christchurch police have already had six homicide inquiries this year already well up on the figure for the whole of last year, in which five unlawful killings were investigated. A big team of detectives

is working on the inquiry into the shooting of two associates of the Devil’s Henchmen gang on Sunday. Some of the detectives worked on the investigation of a fatal stabbing of a woman in a United Service Hotel bar last week. The two killings are not believed to be related, but both allegedly stem from gang problems. Inspector Mel Griebel, who led police raids on four gang houses at the weekend, said yesterday that the police were keeping a close watch on what was happening. Mr Griebel said a truce had been made at the weekend between the leaders of Mongrel Mob and Black Power gangs after a conference between them and the South Island director of the Maori Affairs Department, Mr Bill Edwards. The settlement came at a time when reinforcements for both gangs had come to Christchurch from through-

out New Zealand. The police seized a number of weapons from houses occupied by the two gangs after a series of raids at the week-end. “We had information from quite a few sources that Black Power and the Mongrel Mob were, at loggerheads,” said Mr Griebel. Two shots were fired from a gang house in St Albans on Friday evening and members of the public also reported seeing gang members carrying firearms. Several petrol bombs, nine knives, two axes, two pistols, and a machine-pistol were among items seized in police raids at the weekend, said Mr Griebel. The head of the Christchurch C. 1.8., Detective Superintendent Brian James, said yesterday that the upsurge in crime had kept his staff . extremely busy. Reinforcements had not been called in but this

would be reviewed in the next few days. “This year has started off badly as far as we are concerned,” he said. Mr Jamieson said that some of the police specialist squads, such as the armed offenders, had been called out repeatedly recently. Members of these squads also had to carry out their normal duties. He said that the staff were not complaining and accepted it as part of the job. Few members of the staff would be able to take time off during Easter, mainly because of the Royal tour. Asked about the present trouble with gangs in Christchurch, Mr Jamieson said the problem appeared cyclical. Sometimes there would be no really bad offences for months. “We try to stop the problems; if that doesn’t work we act very firmly,” he said.