Editorial: Boy racers could be considered just another New Zealand outlaw gang

EDITORIAL

Two hundred teenage racers in the faces of frontline cops, showing contempt and disdain for the blue uniform and displaying to New Zealanders what a lack of respect for police looks like.

That’s the only way to describe the anti-social behaviour by a group that was out of control. Boy racers could be considered just another New Zealand gang who flout the law.

Police were pelted with rocks and bottles as they tried to dismantle the crowd that had gathered on Saturday night in Levin, leaving some officers injured and police cars damaged.

Two people – including one who was allegedly found with a flick-knife – were arrested and six cars impounded after dozens of police sought to quell “anti-social road-user activity”.

Thirty police officers were dispatched to the central North Island town to restore law and order.

That’s not giving police the green light to arrive at anti-social gatherings with the muscle of Strike Force Raptor, but sometimes a show of force is what’s needed.

If police are outnumbered – as happened on Saturday – then the style of operation could change from one of force to one of watching and gathering intelligence.

Thirty police officers is a large contingent and, in normal circumstances, more than enough to counter anti-social behaviour. A mob of 200, however, is a different prospect to deal with.

There’s now talk that police should be given wider powers to not only confiscate boy racers’ vehicles but keep them permanently.

Police Minister Mark Mitchell said he planned to talk to Transport Minister Simeon Brown about legislation regarding impounding cars.

“I want to seize the vehicles and keep them. I think that would be a real deterrent if these boy racers realise that [if] they come out, they’re actually going to lose their vehicles,” Mitchell said.

That’s one method that may stop some boy racers from attending these gatherings. But what police have been clearly lacking is respect.

Mitchell acknowledged this when speaking to Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking by saying there’s been a drop in respect for police over the past six to seven years.

He said frontline police officers have become “punching bags” – and he wants to fix it.

Mitchell can give cops all new sorts of laws to help in the Government’s tough-on-crime policy – but respect from groups like we saw in Levin is unlikely to be found with more legislation.