Gang recruitment in New Zealand continues to surge, with gang members now slightly outnumbering police officers.
The figures stand at 10,475 police officers versus 10,478 gang members.
Gang numbers in New Zealand have climbed 13%—adding 1,208 members—since the 2023 General Election.
Since November 2023, police numbers have grown by only 264 additional staff.
During a 2023 election debate, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was pressed on public safety: “New Zealand always has more sworn police officers than gang members; will you make that commitment to New Zealand right here, right now?”
Luxon replied, “Absolutely.”
When asked by the media recently if the numbers equate to a broken promise, he said, “What I can tell you is that our commitment is that we are lowering crime, and when you see violent serious crime coming down and that is because we’re tougher on gang members for sure. The effectiveness of gang members in prosecuting crime has been diminished by virtue of our actions – that is a good thing.”
“The gang patch ban and other powers and actions by the police have actually made gangs much less visible in New Zealand, and, actually, you’re seeing in a lessening of violent serious crime across the country.”
Police report 298 recruits currently in training to become officers.
For Labour’s police spokesperson Ginny Andersen, the National “has always talked a big game on law and order, but they’ve absolutely failed to deliver – and this is just evidence of that.”
“This is a broken promise from the Prime Minister.”
“He said to New Zealanders there would always be more police officers than gang members. Today, we know there are now the opposite of that – more gangs than there are police.”
According to Andersen, the country is also seeing a “huge spike” in methamphetamine and cocaine.
“That is an absolute failure of this government to deliver,” she said.
The government had previously stated it would deliver 500 additional police officers.
“They failed to deliver their 500 police, and they’re failing to keep communities safe,” Andersen added.