By Rachel Helyer Donaldson for RNZ
Police officers deployed to monitor gang funerals are fearing for their safety as 501 deportees bring a new level of aggression, the Police Association says.
Last weekend, about 100 officers were deployed to a gang tangi in Hawke's Bay.
This weekend, extra police are heading to Bay of Plenty for a gang memorial in Ōpōtiki.
Both gatherings involved the Mongrel Mob.
Association vice-president Steve Watt said deportees were increasing tension at such events.
"Gangs have become more sophisticated since the deportation of the 501s from Australia, and with that has come an escalation of the violence that they're using now, and that includes violence they're using against our officers," he said.
"[Gang members] are getting more armed up, there's more conflict between gangs as they fight for territory and places to sell their drugs, and that's causing a huge impact on policing and it really impacts the safety of our officers as they escalate their operations [and] it has an absolutely direct impact on how we police them."
Watt said assaults by gang members on officers had "absolutely increased" in the past three years.
Meanwhile, committing extra resources to monitoring gang funerals were taking officers away from other duties, he said.
Police had always monitored gang tangi but there was even more of a focus under the new government.
"Given the change of direction the police have been given, to focus on gangs, invariably more focus means more resource. I would suggest that is occurring throughout the country now."
That extra resource had to come from somewhere, he added.
"So certain aspects of policing are missing out.
"There are a number of areas of policing we deal with, from prevention, road policing, gang activity and organised crime. Depending on the day and circumstance it could be any one of those missing out on the resource we'd normally have."
RNZ
