Word: wanganui
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...gangs set a new low in their violent history when tit-for-tat drive-by shootings between the Mongrel Mob and Black Power claimed the life of a toddler in Wanganui, about 330 km south of Auckland. Jhia Te Tua, 2, was asleep on a couch in her Black Power father's home when a bullet was fired into the house, killing her instantly. Police have charged 12 men over her murder and arrested several more in connection with the ongoing violence between the local chapters...
...mayor of Wanganui sees it very differently. "That's bullshit," says Michael Laws, who wants gangs banned from public areas. "You might have the older ones doing less crime, but they are still recruiting. And you get the younger ones who need to do crime to become patched. We've got all the police statistics for our area. The number of gang-on-gang incidents tripled in 2006, and would be even worse...
...Gang members will have to get their tattoos removed if they want to remain in Wanganui, if Laws has his way: "You get a laser treatment or go somewhere else." Chester Burrows, the National Party's law and order spokesman and member for Wanganui, has indicated that he'll try to introduce a bill to Parliament that will give local councils the right to ban gangs and gang regalia in cities. King thinks it unlikely the bill will succeed. She favors U.K.-style anti-social behavior orders to curb gang activity...
...family go against tradition. Claude Kahika, president of the Mongrel Mob's foundation Hastings chapter, admits "sporadic gang violence flares up now and again. But because of the network of older guys, a dialogue and communication is there now." He says he has been negotiating with the gangs in Wanganui, and claims to exercise a benign influence on gang affairs, despite having once been told, he claims, that police thought he was the largest amphetamines dealer in New Zealand. "I was so hurt by that," he says, "not just me, but for my family and my larger family...
...Bridge to Nowhere: This basic but blissfully secluded lodge sits beside the stunning Wanganui River. Owners Joe Adam and Mandy Jackson, their six children and a host of farm pets make you feel wonderfully at home as soon as you enter the six-room lodge. Rates begin from $75 per person per night; www.bridgetonowhere-lodge.co.nz...