A former MP is lashing out at the "feral culture" driving crime in Whangārei after a 25-year-old man was killed while reportedly trying to help a woman who was being robbed at a petrol station ATM on Saturday night.
Police have launched a homicide investigation after the man was stabbed to death outside of Gull petrol station in Raumanga.
It has been reported the man was helping a woman who was being robbed when he was stabbed.
Former MP and Northland advocate Shane Jones told AM on Monday crime and poor behaviour is spreading like a "cancer" in Northland.
"Northland has reached a breaking point. We've probably gone beyond our limits of tolerance for these random acts of criminality," Jones told AM's Ryan Bridge.
"These people seem to think that society owes them something. My wife, my mother, my daughters, and many of my family members regularly use that Gull service station because it's the gateway to Northland.
"Such random, ugly violence, it's just staggering. But we've got to draw the line. There's a feral culture feeding this type of behaviour and sadly, in Northland, we've allowed it to percolate. We've allowed it to spread and now it's like a cancer."
Jones said Whangārei is full of hardworking and successful people, but it's also plagued with crime and poor behaviour.
He told Bridge he wants police to take a similar approach to crime in Northland officials take in Queensland, Australia.
When asked whether this meant 10-year maximum sentences for carjackings and building more youth detention centres, Jones said if it "keeps the community safe".
"The Gull service station where any random woman or man could have just been getting 50 bucks out and then get gutted by some little p freak, I'd gladly lock them on a ship and park that ship somewhere where no one sees it," he said.
"We've got to stop providing a rationale and excuse us for this cancerous creep of criminality. Not all of the north is blighted by it, but it makes people genuinely afraid and scared."
In a statement on Sunday, police said they were working to establish exactly what happened at the Gull station and identify and locate anyone who left before they arrived.
"We would like to hear from anyone who has information which could assist our enquiries, including any witnesses who have not yet spoken to us," a spokesperson said.
They also appealed for any videos or images which might help their investigation.
"If you were in the area of the Gull service station at around 9.30pm last night and have photos or videos which may be relevant, please upload them here: https://rusty-red.nc3.govt.nz/."
Anyone with information can contact police on 105 or online. Please reference file number 230416/9440.
