New Zealand cannot arrest its way out of the gang problem. That's according to a report by the Chief Science Advisory - requested to inform policy for reducing gang harm. It instead calls for improvements in addressing related factors such as family harm, youth offending and drug use. Co-author Tracey McIntosh says legal action over simply being associated with gangs causes collateral damage. And it means you have much more distrust in a community and those young people who you actually don't want to enter into a pathway of gangs actually feel that they have no other opportunity."

Source: New Zealand Herald July 05, 2023 13:05 UTC