Mongrel Mob's Harry Tam warns of 'dangers' to special police powers

A senior Mongrel Mob member has warned there are "dangers" to special police powers meant to tackle gang violence, expressing concern over potential overreach and saying they could cause "a reaction".

Rising tensions between the Mongrel Mob and Black Power have seen the police invoke special powers in Tairāwhiti, Ōpōtiki and Whakatāne, giving officers the ability to "search vehicles and places of suspected gang members, and occupants of those vehicles; and to seize firearms, weapons and vehicles".

Senior Mongrel Mob member Harry Tam told Breakfast this morning: "They've always had search laws where there's suspicion of firearms and that, so I don't really see what's really new about these sorts of things.

"By all means, the Government does need tools and that to tackle these sorts of issues.

"[But] police tend to use gang legislation sort of like a novelty item."

Tam said the "real issue" is the root cause of rising gang membership.

"I'm not sure this measure will actually do anything to deal with gang membership," he said.

Tam said the special powers may "temper" gang tensions "for a while" — but he expressed concern about potential consequences.

"There are dangers to this sort of legislation," he said.

"Police tend to use it like a novelty item, they overuse it, and they're over rigorous about it, and then that causes a reaction."

Tam said "a more balanced approach" would be best.

"You might sort out the confrontation at that point in time, but in reality, there's very little prosocial interventions going into those communities," he said.

"Unless we actually deal with tackling the causes of gang membership and the causes of confrontation, then these things are just stopgap measures."

He criticised the National Party's "superficial" proposals, including banning gang patches in public.

"We can jump to the tough on crime stuff, but it isn't actually going to fix the problem," he said.

"If Chris [Luxon, Prime Minister-elect and National's leader] wants to meet with me, that would be great.

"But he doesn't seem to be a person that likes to listen to people like me."