Despite widespread criticism, the Police Commissioner believes a controversial gang patch ban will be a crucial tool as part of a new national unit.
The new national gang unit, to be made up of specialist staff, was announced by Police Minister Mark Mitchell and Commissioner Andrew Coster on Tuesday.
In addition, the Gang Legislation Amendment Bill to ban patches is also set to be introduced to Parliament.
Coster told AM police wanted to see a reduction in the "visible presence" of gangs.
"The gang patch ban, when passed through Parliament, will be a key tool for us in that - as will our ongoing, active policing of events like gang runs and gang funerals," he said.
Among the concerns about the new gang unit included where the officers would come from to staff it.
But Coster wasn't concerned about that, saying police would be "looking at groups whose work is already broadly aligned with this area".
"We expect it will be a mix of reprioritisation and new investment, but we can't get ahead of Budget announcements."
Coster said gangs were linked to 18 percent of serious violence in New Zealand.
"So, when we see the overall gang contribution to crime reduce, that's when we know we're having long-term success."
Questions remain about funding
Chris Cahill, the president of the Police Association, said the national gang unit announcement was a good move "in theory" but came "with no actual facts around what the extra resourcing will be" and what it would cost.
"If it doesn't have those things attached to it, you're just asking the same staff to do more work or you're moving staff around - so we really want to see the facts behind that," he told Newstalk ZB.
Meanwhile, iwi believed the gang unit didn't address the whole issue.
"People want to feel safe, gangs are a big issue around the motu - so I get where they're going there - but that isn't the silver bullet," Ngāti Kahungunu chair Bayden Barber told RNZ's Morning Report.
"There's a lot more work that needs to be done, these are multi-generational issues and long-standing. And a crime unit might get people off the streets, fill up more prison beds but, like I say, you've got... mokopuna joining gangs now and if you don't address the causes - the root causes - that will continue."
The Government should do more to fix those issues, he said.
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