Labour is calling the Government's new task force aimed at cracking down on gangs a "rebrand" of its own approach.
It was announced on Tuesday that the police will establish a National Gang Unit to deal with gang crime.
Police Minister Mark Mitchell said the unit would extend the work already done by Operation Cobalt and would build operational capability when combatting gangs.
"In addition, Police are investing in gang disruption units at a district level to identify, target and catch priority gang offenders," Mitchell said.
Operation Cobalt was introduced by the Labour Government in 2022 following a spate of shootings amidst rising tensions between the Killer Beez and Tribesmen gangs. It was a broadening of Operation Tauwhiro, which focused on unlawfully held firearms.
"I'm glad the strong law enforcement focus on gangs under Operation Cobalt and Tauwhiro will be embedded into each Police District. This was supported and funded by Labour," Labour police spokesperson Ginny Andersen said on Tuesday.
"Labour also funded the National Gang Unit. It was called the National Organised Crime Group."
Andersen added in 2022, Labour invested $94.5m to target gangs and organised crime.
"Unlike Labour, National has put no extra resources today into tackling gangs and organised crime. Just like they won't pay police properly for the extra work they're asking them to do," Andersen said.
"Mark Mitchell couldn't say how many people would be in what he says are 'new' units, what they would do or how they would be funded - this is a rebrand of Labour's approach, not anything new."
Police Commissioner Andrew Coster said the dedicated national operation launch is planned for July.
"Policing gangs and serious offenders is an all-of-police priority. The new gang units will boost our focus and capability but they are not working alone - our whole frontline is involved in preventing the crime and harm caused by methamphetamine, organised crime and gangs, whether through road policing, organised crime investigations, prosecutions or prevention activity," he said.
Mitchell said the National Gang Unit announcement is a big part of the Government's goal to "restore law and order".
"We have a plan to recruit 500 additional Police and we're giving them powers to crack down on gang offending, introducing legislation to ban all gang insignia in public, create greater powers to stop criminal gangs from gathering in groups and communicating, and give greater weight to gang membership at sentencing," Mitchell said.
He said there had been a 73 percent increase in gang membership from 2017 to 2023.
It comes after gang member Hone Kay-Selwyn allegedly shot and killed 33-year-old Robert Sidney Horne in Auckland's Ponsonby. Police said there was no known relationship between the two men.
