MEURANT: How to Defeat Gangs. Former NZ Police dog handler, currently Minister of Police, recently announced a crackdown on gangs, and said: (1) 'Gangs peddle drugs, violence and misery in our communities Latent sagacity? If the rational of banning abortion and banning drugs (with severe penalties) fails to stop abortion and eliminate gangs, (2) what effect will be banning patches have on "eliminating" gangs? I acknowledge the widely held public contempt and perhaps fear of gang motorcycle abuse of road rules. But abuse of road rules can be enforced, irrespective of a rider wearing a gang patch. If gang members wearing their patches, convene in a bar (which does not ban gang members), what's the problem? These people are entitled to mix and mingle with each other - watch NRL league on the screen, play pool and whatever. Birds of a feather flock together. If "nice" people want to go into a bar frequented by gang members, then that is their own stupid bloody choice. Most gang members hail from lower socio-economic deciles - where parents were either hard working unskilled or from families where the father was a boozer and abusers of their children and wife. As boys born to this decile become young men, some will escape. That is, they make the break from the environment in which they were raised. Perhaps they realised at early school days they were as good at mathematics as some of the kids from higher socio-economic levels of society, and then used that natural ability to get good marks and ultimately, a good job or access university. To achieve this without parental assistance however, is not an easy road, but Gina Lollobrigida once said: "We are all born to die - the difference is the intensity with which we choose to live." As a kid raised in the rural rump of Northland, I was born to the lower socio-economic strata. I had a rough childhood. I was a father at 16 years old with a girl, 17 years old and from the hight socio strata. As a result, I was ostracised by the very conservative community. But I never went down the crime alley. After I left school, I worked as a concrete labourer until somehow, I was recruited into the police at 19 years of age. Perhaps even more surprising was my rapid rise through the ranks - from detective on elite squads under John Hughes (the most outstanding leader I endured as a cop) and Bruce Hutton (the most notorious), via being 2nd O/C Red Squad to commissioned rank with a BA and part of a Law degree when I took up the role of O/C Criminal Intelligence Section & V.I.P. Security planning. Subliminal point I make is; 'Don't give me the bullshit that young men cannot break the mould into which they were caste.' Equally I acknowledge, that the majority who do not make the break and end up in jail, do so not because they are among the few "seriously mentally damaged criminal elements" within the country, but because - having been ostracised i.e. shut out of general society because of his lower-class status, they end up taking the same path of other young men from similar backgrounds. As to the "seriously mentally damaged criminal element" within society, this category of criminal is not confined to the lower classes. Sexual abuse of opposite and/or same sex person, by wealthy gentlemen and/or higher social-economic decile young men (who may have had exclusive private school education and a mother who picked them up from the school gate in a Bently) is common. Fraud is often a penchant of deviants from the upper strata. However, Justice is money: Just money. Well do recall one Night Shift as a detective on Crime Car, being given a direct order by a senior officer, not to arrest a prominent lawyer I had already put into the rear seat of the Holden - because I could see he had "beaten the snot out of his wife" - in the more affluent zone of St Heliers. Back to the gang patch. What is a gang patch? Many claimed Red Squad (I was 2nd in command) was a "gang of thugs". Red Squad had its special patch: A red band on the left shoulder. Do rugby club badges worn by club members, constitute gang paraphernalia? Don't mistake my opinion of how gangs are born, so to speak, as supporting gangs and ignoring the crimes they do commit. I had my share of dealing with gang members and that experience educated me as to how and why gangs today are so powerful. And, its nothing to do with wearing a gang patch. Two examples of my exposure to gangs. Case study one - an extract taken from a book I have pending (Bent Cops & Broken Systems): "A couple of weeks later, same Police car, was parked in Nelson Street, opposite the entrance to the Empire Tavern. Detective GSW and I entered the bar. A hush fell over the patrons, near a hundred Hell Angles. Yet no one said, 'Boo'. "As we were leaving the bar, a bottle, thrown from across the bar, smashed on the door frame. Once we were outside the pub, Detective GSW said, 'Did you see him PTD. Wanted for rape?' "I nodded assent. I had already been involved investigating a rape complaint by a young woman who had been held by the gang, stripped naked, raped, then raffled - being bounced on a blanket so that she lost her senses, then at whose ever feet she tumbled from the blankets, that gang member had his turn. "Detective GSW went to the blue 1971 Holden and called MO - the records system of the day, who confirmed the warrant for arrest was live. 'Let's get him,' said Detective GSW to which I as the junior officer said, 'Umm Are you sure that's a good idea? Shouldn't we call the cavalry first?' 'What are ya Meurant?' barked Detective GSW. 'Are you windy?' 'No,' I replied then added, 'But I'm not stupid.' 'Bah! exclaimed Detective GSW, as he strode back into the Empire Tavern, like Clint Eastwood looking for someone to make his day. Meekly, I followed. "As we crossed the bar to the far end where PTD was standing, the boss of the Hells Angels had his minders at his table. 'XYZ. You are under arrest for rape XXXX XXXXXX. Bring you tooth brush. You'll be staying the night at Her Majesty's hotel, free of charge,' announced Detective GSW. "The walk across the bar room, back to the Nelson Street doors, was uneventful. PTD was cuffed and placed in the rear seat of the light blue 1971 Holden. Detective GSW took his place, front passenger's seat. O/C patrol. As driver, I inserted the ignition key from the driver's seat - but before I had time to switched-on, the car was on its side. 'Call Control,' yelled Detective GSW. 'I can't', I replied. 'You're sitting on my head'. By the time we were out of the car back on our feet, prisoner PTD had disappeared and all was quiet at the Empire Tavern. "At 3.00am PTD was nabbed again. He had gone to an address to known to Detective GSW from his days as a Newton cop. We were waiting in the darkness. Case Study two. As now deceased John Hughes, formerly my boss when I was a detective on the elite Regional Crime Squad in the 1970 - dealing at the time with many seriously dangerous bad guys including Terry Clark aka Mr Asia and Peter Fulcher: both known for violent robberies, murder and drug trafficking, often said: "If there was no receiver, there would be less burglary and theft." Demand creates a market for supply. That includes "black markets" where products or services are in demand but are illegal. Black Markets, are where criminal organisations, flourish. Al Capone's rise to infamy, was bequeathed via the era of "Prohibition" of alcohol, in America. Later in my career paths, for example, as a Member of Parliament I voted for abortion on demand. Aside from my belief that a living woman also has rights, it is axiomatic that where abortion is not legal, it is still in demand and that demand creates a black market where abortion is delivered illegally, invariable without certified medical practitioners involved. Bad outcomes are common. The solution? Legalise abortion. Prior to entering Parliament, while still an inspector of police and at the time also doing part time a Law degree at Auckland University, I did research police data to which I had access, and in a criminology assignment, I made a case to legalise dope. All dope. In essence, the case I made (2), ran as follows: "The research suggested that perhaps 50 per cent of all crime in New Zealand was drug related. The data - which I collected in the Auckland police cells and extrapolated as a hypothesis across the country - covered arrests for importing; supply; possession for supply; thefts, burglaries and robberies for drugs or money to buy drugs. Possession for self-use brought up the rear. "It was obvious that a high percentage of serious crime - such as bank robberies, kidnappings and serious assaults - had a drug-related theme. "Gangs needed ready cash to make down-payments on large imported caches, addicts needed cash to feed their habits. Then there was gang warfare over territorial distribution rights and retribution over payments not made. "It occurred to me that the police workload might be reduced substantially if the drugs people fought over, killed for, and died protecting, were dispensed through government-licensed outlets - just like alcohol. "It would be possible to establish the names of all who entered government-licensed stores to make legal purchase of substances we presently deem illegal. "This record of "users", those who used hard drugs such as heroin, could be placed on a register for treatment and counselling from health professionals. "Drug addiction, like alcoholism, is a sickness. It should not be treated as a crime - although penalties for abuse in a public place would be part of the armoury of the state to protect other citizens from those who took drugs lawfully but caused a nuisance. This is what happens now with alcohol. "The question of young people being vulnerable is no more potent a concern with drugs than with alcohol. "Alcohol has an impact on perhaps 75 per cent of crime, and much road carnage. It is not good for your health, nor does it have spin-off benefits for the community. "Yet we as a society tolerate continued advertising of alcohol as a desirable cultural characteristic - and why? I suggest it is the power of the brewery lobby and the recognition that prohibition simply won't work. "The best way to control alcohol use by young people is not to make it unobtainable but to impose draconian penalties for misuse, particularly where the effects of misuse are manifest in a public place or impact adversely on others. "Zero tolerance with drink-driving for people under 28 is my start point. Overnight in a police cell for street drunkenness is another bottom line. "The rationale being: abuse of a substance lawfully available is where the penalties should fall and not on supply or possession, which effectively stimulates a black market and underworld. "This same rationale I suggest could be applied to drug use. "What simply does not work is the system of severe penalties for producing, transhipping and selling substances deemed illegal. Whether it be the death penalty, life imprisonment or examples of many past and present profile cases where mere "mules" let alone people higher up the supply chain are imprisoned in foreign jails with terrifying reputations. "All these and other attempts to prohibit possession and use of drugs through a punitive approach to the supply line have failed. "Instead, the policy has spawned drug barons with the wealth to own private armies which deliver terror to the doorsteps of politicians, judges and police and by this corruption govern entire states de facto. At the same time, the impact of the drug trade on the world economy is massive. (3) Back to the present time. Notwithstanding Hon Mark Mitchell's bold statements about controlling gangs, it is my view that while dope is illegal and sold through the Black Market, gangs will flourish. Furthermore, based on the massive power which South American drug barons amass, and emerging evidence (4) that these drug lords are infiltrating Australia and New Zealand (the later if only as a staging post), gangs will only get bigger and more powerful - on the coat-tails of - supplying illegal substances. (4) (5) Money! Many people have a price. Gangs have the money to infiltrate border security, police AND members of Parliament. Only a fool would deny that this threat exists as a corollary of drug trafficking. Solution? Legalise dope. Yeah, Right M8. Whereas the NZ Police have in recent times, made impressive inroads into and arrests of drug importation / transportation, worldwide trends tend to suggest that police are losing the war. Perhaps it's time to reassess? Ross Meurant BA MPP Former Police Inspector. Former Member of Parliament. Former Diplomatic Representative. Current partner www.gena.co.nz