A gang patch in

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

refers to the identifying insignia of a

street gang A gang is a social group, group or secret society, society of associates, friends, or members of a family with a defined leadership and internal organization that identifies with or claims control over Wiktionary:territory#Noun, territory in a ...

. Patches have been linked to intimidation of members of the public by gang members. Gang patches perform much the same identification role as

gang colours Gang colors include clothing, accessories, or tattoos of a specific color or colors that represent an affiliation to a specific gang or gang branch. History England The first recorded criminal street gangs in England were organized in London i ...

do in other countries. Each of the country's gangs has its own forms of insignia, of which the most prominent is often a large symbol, frequently worn by members on their clothing as a symbol of their gang membership. The patch is often seen as being as important to gang members as a military flag is to members of an army group, and any insult to the patch is taken as being an insult to the gang as a whole. As such, the term has a more general meaning. Being a "patched" member of a gang is to be a fully initiated member of the gang – and often a ranking member of the gang's structure. The physical patches are highly valued and have been used with some success in negotiations.

Legality

Wanganui District Council legislation

The explanatory notes to the "''Wanganui District Council (Prohibition of Gang Insignia) Bill''", a local bill introduced into the New Zealand Parliament by then

Whanganui Whanganui, also spelt Wanganui, is a city in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand. The city is located on the west coast of the North Island at the mouth of the Whanganui River, New Zealand's longest navigable waterway. Whanganui is ...

MP Chester Borrows, records that the Wanganui District Council already had an informal policy that prohibited wearing or displaying gang insignia in public buildings. However, as result of attacks on police and the 5 May 2007 murder of two-year old Jhia Te Tua during a drive-by gang shooting, the council sought the legal power to make bylaws that prohibited wearing gang insignia in designated spaces. The bill received Royal Assent on 9 May 2009 and came into force the next day as the Wanganui District Council (Prohibition of Gang Insignia) Act 2009. Wanganui District Council then passed bylaws banning the wearing of gang insignia, or patches and similar symbols, within parts of their jurisdiction. The ban was tested by judicial review in a hearing before Clifford J in November 2010. The judge reserved his decision.

Government legislation

On 28 June 2012, Rotorua MP

Todd McClay Todd Michael McClay (born 22 November 1968) is a New Zealand politician and former ambassador. He is the Member of Parliament for Rotorua. He was previously an ambassador for the Cook Islands and Niue to the European Union. Early life McClay ...

, introduced the "''Prohibition of Gang Insignia in Government Premises Bill''" into the New Zealand Parliament. The stated aim of the bill was to "''provide an environment free from gang intimidation''" in all Government premises, including schools, hospitals and local authority premises, as well as those of central government. The bill, which had very similar provisions to the Wanganui District Council's by-law, received Royal assent on 12 August 2013 and became law as the

Prohibition of Gang Insignia in Government Premises Act 2013 The Prohibition of Gang Insignia in Government Premises Act 2013 was legislation passed by the New Zealand Parliament on 7 August 2013, which went into effect when given Royal assent#Australia_and_New_Zealand, royal assent on the 12 August 2013. ...

. In February 2024, the

Sixth National Government of New Zealand The Sixth National Government is a coalition government comprising the National Party, ACT Party and New Zealand First that has governed New Zealand since November 2023. The government is headed by Christopher Luxon, the National Party lea ...

, comprising the National Party,

ACT Party ACT New Zealand (; ), also known as the ACT Party or simply ACT, is a right-wing, classical liberal, right-libertarian, and conservative political party in New Zealand. It is currently led by David Seymour, and is in coalition with the Nationa ...

and

New Zealand First New Zealand First (), commonly abbreviated to NZ First or NZF, is a political party in New Zealand, founded and led by Winston Peters, who has served three times as Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand, deputy prime minister. The party has form ...

, announced plans to ban gang patches in public as part of a raft of anti-gang legislation. On 19 September 2024, the New Zealand Parliament passed the Gangs Act 2024 which banned gang patches and gave police and courts new dispersal and non-consorting powers for combating gangs. While National, ACT and NZ First supported the bill, it was opposed by the Labour, Green, and

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

parties.

References

External links

* * {{OutlawMotorcycleGroups Motorcycling subculture Culture of New Zealand Patch Gangs in New Zealand New Zealand slang

Legality

Wanganui District Council legislation

Government legislation

See also

References

External links