THE PRESS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1985. Dealing with gang violence

Press, 11 October 1985, Page 10

THE PRESS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1985. Dealing with gang violence

It was unfortunate for the organisers of the marae meeting between Maori gangs in Christchurch that the first day ended with an attack on a gang house by members of an opposing group. The Maori elders who had organised the summit meeting had hoped that they would be able to defuse the violent tension between the warring factions. One of the elders was quick to claim that the lack of retaliation for the attack was a sign of progress being made in the talks. This hopeful interpretation might seem a little unreal to ordinary citizens who are at a loss to understand the mentality of young hoodlums who destroy property on the strength of some connection with people they dislike.

The Maori elders who are attempting to pacify the gangs may have little more understanding of the causes of the violence and vandalism than anyone else, but their efforts deserve success. This is not the first time that senior members of the Maori community have tried to grapple with the problem. Two gangrelated murders earlier this year prompted a meeting between the police, gang leaders, and Maori elders that resulted in a short-lived, uneasy truce but achieved nothing lasting. There have been two more killings since then and there has been little evidence that the gang members are any more inclined to observe the law or to grow up enough to tolerate or at least ignore their supposed rivals. At Tuesday’s meeting, Mr Hori Brennan,

the secretary of Nga Hau E Wha Marae Trust Board, said that gang violence starts from weak leadership. He could have logically gone further and said that the very existence of gangs is at the root of the problem. All sorts of theories have been advanced as to why some young Maoris — and other young people — feel the need to form gangs in the first place. A sense of alienation, a need for comradeship, a form of tribalism, an unsatisfactory home life, and peer-group pressures have all been put forward as reasons for the gangs’ existence, but none satisfactorily explains why they should resort to violence and even murder, or why they should consider themselves outside the law.

On past history, not much optimism can attend this latest meeting; the elders can talk, but will the gang members listen? For the good of the gang members, for the mana of their race, and for the well-being of the community that they disrupt, these young people must not only hear what their elders are saying but live by the message. This latest effort may be a last chance. In the interests of the welfare of the community and all individuals, including gang members, the police are entitled to act vigorously to prevent violence as well as to bring offenders to book. If the efforts of the elders this week prove futile, the gangs cannot expect any sympathy from a community that has been made a playground for their belligerency.