Amid tensions around the gang presence in Ōpōtiki this week, a neighbouring District Councillor is praising how police handled the situation.
Sections of Ōpōtiki were shut down for the tangi of Steven Taiatini, the president of the Mongrel Mob Barbarians club.
That included closures of schools and roads, as hundreds of patched gang members arrived in the town. A homicide investigation has been opened into Taiatini’s death.
The response from police – to remain a visible presence but largely not interfere in the tangi itself – was praised by Kawerau District Councillor Warwick Godfery.
“I think community leaders and police and gang members have worked well together,” said Godfery.
Godfery is a former Mongrel Mob member, but hasn’t been part of the gang for decades. He is currently serving his fourth consecutive term on the Kawerau District Council.
Some criticised police for their actions and demanded a much more assertive response.
“I think the police’s first priority is safety, and in their mind they foresaw that things could become unsafe, and they worked their best to minimise any issues,” said Godfery.
“Thus far there’s been no escalation, so these are good outcomes.
“As I say, people are grieving – someone’s lost a father, someone’s lost a son. It’s an emotional time, and you’ve got to be respectful of someone’s loss.”
He said it was fair to criticise gangs for their intimidating behaviour in public settings, but politicising the issue “is not helpful at all”.
Godfery spent eight years in the 80s and 90s in the Mongrel Mob, racking up a string of convictions before turning his life around.
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