Does local government have a role in responding to gangs?
On 19th November I chaired a Forum for local government to consider our role in responding to gangs. The Forum, hosted by Local Government New Zealand, involved key central government players including the Police, and the Ministries of Justice and Social Development, community practitioners, and local government. We heard about government strategies ranging from prevention through to enforcement. Community groups and councils also shared their practical experiences of responding to gang activities within their communities.
On a topic such as this it is easy to focus on what is not working. While we don't want to ignore serious problems in our communities we can only build positively on what is actually working. In many areas there are very good relationships locally between key players like the Police, Maori Wardens, programme providers, Iwi and councils. These groups are sharing information, working together, and providing many good local strategies and programs which work not just with individuals, but their families, and provide positive alternatives to the gang pathway.
There is a spectrum of views about how we should deal with gangs as a society: from those who support engagement though to those who favour suppression. My sense from the meeting was that we need to do both, not just one or the other. Strong policing, enforcement and penalties for criminal activities were seen as a key plank in an overall strategy alongside engagement and connection.
Many of us in local government wonder about our role in addressing ‘social issues'. Clearly there are many areas where central government needs to take the lead, but it's important that we think about how we can also contribute in our own communities. Through the discussion on the day, councils themselves identified a number of areas where local government can make a difference. This includes facilitating conversations and collaboration with central government, agencies, Iwi, and community groups, taking leadership on the issues, and supporting communities to respond. At the end of the day, nobody knows our communities better than we do.
So what might we ask of central government in this area? Long-term commitment to programs and realistic funding were the two key priorities to emerge from discussions. There is a lot of really good work happening with very committed and talented people, but they experience many challenges in securing sufficient and guaranteed resourcing to continue their very important work.
The meeting also proposed that, while we look at the costs of programs and initiatives, we should also consider as a nation the cost of doing nothing and failing to ensure future generations take a positive path. Do we really understand the potential cost and is it a price we want to pay?
I would like to thank all those who attended the forum and contributed so willingly. It is my sense that gangs arise where a lot of other things have gone wrong. So as a society how do we respond to those failings? We focus on what is working, and commit to providing more positive pathways for our young people.
You can view the presentations and notes from the day by clicking here
John Forbes, National Council
