Andrew Dickens Afternoons

There’s a common factor to the stories that made the headlines over the past few days and that commonality is drugs.Firstly the immense growth in numbers of gang members in New Zealand. According to the police there are 6729 patched or prospect gang members in this country. That’s a rise of nearly 26 per cent over the last two years.It’s an incredible number. 1386 new gang members in just two years. Simon Bridges says it’s because the Labour led government is soft on crime, which I find personally to be the most laughable thing he’s said lately. They’re soft on some crime but it ain’t gangs. Look at what happened over those same 2 years.There have been 10 per cent more officers added over that time. By next year 700 officers will be specifically assigned to police organised crime and gangs. Add to that the 1200 offenders deported from Australia in those same 2 years many of whom are gang members. The Comancheros have been formed in that time.The fact is we have more police fighting more gang members. But the