Special unit to handle Invercargill gangs

Press, 6 February 1986, Page 22

Special unit to handle Invercargill gangs

PA Invercargill The police in Invercargill have set up a special unit to deal with gangs in the city after a series of violent incidents, the latest two at the week-end. Early on Sunday, a youth, aged 17, was knocked unconscious when he and a companion were attacked by three car loads of young men near Mataura. The injured youth was discharged from Gore Hospital on Monday. The police are investigating the possibility that the attackers were from an Invercargill gang and mistakenly took the two youths as rival gang members. On Sunday evening, in Invercargill, an associate of the Damned motorcycle group was attacked while working on a car at his work premises in Crinan Street. Detective Sergeant Brian Hewett, of the Invercargill C. 1.8., said the man was attacked from behind by five men wear-

Ing balaclavas and wielding hammers and pipes. Two other people were in the premises at the time. One, who was in a wheelchair, was not harmed. The other, an employee of the injured man, fled the premises, and although he was chased by the attackers managed to escape.

The commander of the Invercargill Police District, Superintendent Tommy Thomson, said the police were forming a special team policing unit to concentrate on gang members “because it is clear they are attempting to gain supremacy over each other and in the process they are causing disturbances in the town. “We have got to put a stop to it before they endanger the general public,” he said. “As I have said on previous occasions I am not going to have my staff attacked by every bum who fancies himself as Mohammed All,” said Mr Thomson.