February 19, 2020
Parenting best fix for gang scourge
A long time community leader says solving the gang problem is about parenting rather than punishment.
National is ramping up its anti-gang rhetoric for the election campaign, with leader Simon Bridges calling for New South Wales-style special police units to harass gangs.
But Henare O’Keefe from Flaxmere says gangs have been around for a long time now, and a solution will mean patience and tolerance.
"When gangs rear their heads in public, people want them locked up and kept out of sight, and I get that. But our prisons are overflowing, so in terms of addressing gangs, I prefer the long haul, which is parenting. The home is the alpha and omega. You've got to look at the home – good consistent quality parenting," he says.
Henare O’Keefe
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