The crackdown on gang activities by the incoming government in New Zealand has taken a unique turn, suggesting that the country’s gangs might be compelled to obscure offensive tattoos with makeup. Mark Mitchell, the police spokesperson for the National party, announced on Thursday that if their proposed prohibition on gang patches – large insignia adorning garments, for instance – proves ineffective, an alternative strategy could involve requiring gang members to apply foundation over their facial tattoos, with potential legal repercussions for non-compliance.
Mitchell emphasized, “If the gangs believe they can circumvent a ban on gang patches by displaying swastikas and offensive tattoos on their faces, we will take decisive action to curtail such practices.”
He cited the precedent set by Western Australia in 2021, which banned gang tattoos but allowed gang members to conceal them with makeup.
Associate Professor Mark Lauchs, a researcher at the Queensland University of Technology specializing in New Zealand and Australian gangs, expressed reservations about the viability of this proposal, noting that no other Australian state had adopted a similar ban to that of Western Australia. He questioned whether such laws, if enacted, might become punitive rather than effective, drawing parallels to a previous plan in Queensland to compel incarcerated gang members to wear pink jumpsuits, intended to humiliate rather than enhance public safety.
The distinction between gang-related and culturally significant tattoos, particularly for Māori individuals, poses a substantial challenge for New Zealand’s law enforcement. The resurgence of traditional Māori facial tattoos, known as “moko,” in recent years complicates the task of distinguishing between what constitutes a Mongrel Mob tattoo and a cultural moko, which could result in significant ambiguity and dispute.
Gangs have been a longstanding presence in New Zealand, with data from the police’s Gang Harm Insights Centre indicating an estimated 8,870 members across 33 different gangs. The Mongrel Mob, the country’s largest gang, often features members with facial tattoos, including depictions of bulldogs.
In New Zealand, gangs occupy a multifaceted role within society, being both associated with criminal activities and also engaged in community initiatives.
The National party’s proposal includes extending police search powers, eliminating the requirement for court warrants, prohibiting gang-related activity on social media, and granting police the authority to issue verbal dispersal orders to prevent gang members from congregating.
When asked about preventing gang members from gathering, Mitchell asserted that law enforcement would resort to making arrests until gang members recognized the government’s resolute stance on the matter.
