Homicides committed by gang members doubled from the same time last year, according to police data. File photo. Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver
The total number of criminal offences committed by gang members across the country is down from the same time last year, police data has revealed.
Data provided to RNZ through an OIA shows 6173 crimes were committed by validated gang prospects or patched gang members on the National Gang List from November 2023 to April of 2024, nearly 2000 fewer than the same time last year.
The types of offending ranged from harassment and dangerous or negligent acts, to sexual assault and homicide.
Bay of Plenty recorded the most offences over the period ending April this year, with 1105 crimes reported, down from 1347 the previous year.
It was followed by the Eastern District and Wellington for second and third most offences recorded, with 891 and 862 reported respectively.
The Tasman area recorded the lowest number of gang offences at 141 incidents.
But the types of crimes committed by gang members and the number of offences committed in that category varied dramatically between the two periods.
Homicides committed by gang members doubled to 12 between the times measured.
Conversely, traffic and vehicle regulatory offences - the offence with highest recorded number of incidents for both periods - decreased from 1599 offences to 1328 between November of last year and April.
Police said it was important to note these offences were not convictions, and may still be before the courts.
Individuals may have been proceeded against through other means, or may have been charged and subsequently acquitted, they said.
Police said the gang information was snapshot data, and some of the individual recorded may not have been gang members at the time of each offence, or may identified as offenders and been recorded as such at the time, but were no longer recorded as gang members.
Police said one occurrence could have multiple offences, victims, and offenders.
Police Commissioner Andrew Coster announced in May the formation of a National Gang Unit to fight back against gangs.
Coster said the national unit would work with police districts across the country, drawing on the existing Operation Cobalt and other coordinated responses to gang funerals and other gang activity.