By Anneke Smith of RNZ

Drive-by shootings more than doubled at the height of the inter-gang conflict between the Tribesmen and Killer Beez last year.

An official intelligence report also found gang members got the target house wrong several times, putting civilians in the firing line.

The Gang Intelligence Centre (GIC) compiled significant events involving members on the National Gang List during quarter two of 2022.

It found there were 30 reported drive-by shootings of individuals, vehicles or properties, up 17 more than the previous quarter.

Of these shootings, there were “multiple instances” where mistaken addresses, housing people who were not gang members, were targeted.

Gang expert Jarrod Gilbert said it was a “dangerous development”; reflecting a break from an unwritten rule that homes and workplaces were off-limits.

The scene of a drive by shooting on Marie Crescent, Te Atatu. Photo / Tom Dillane

“Rival gangs have fired shots at one another for as long as they’ve existed in New Zealand but there did tend to be a rule in the past that you didn’t hit private homes or places of work.

“Clearly what we saw in that war was a no holds barred approach and those rules were completely off the table.”

The GIC noted this could indicate a possible new trend, where physical homes are targeted more than individual gang members.

Gang expert Jarrod Gilbert. Photo / NZME

“It is possible this change in violence was influenced by the historically close ties and familial connections between Tribesmen and Killer Beez, which may have enabled greater confidence in targeting locations where rival gang members were suspected to reside.

Gilbert explained this particular clash - now over - was unique in that it saw younger members of Killer Beez - created as a feeder gang for the Tribesmen - go up against their former allies.

“At a certain point, the young cub grew a little too big and strong and didn’t like to take orders ... what that meant was that people that used to be incredibly close to one another, in some instances, very famous and best friends went head to head.”

Senior Tribesmen member Okusitino Tae is currently serving a jail sentence for shooting and paralysing his former best mate - Killer Beez president Josh Masters - outside an Auckland Harley Davidson dealership in April 2019.

Back in 2007, 2-year-old Jhia Te Tua was killed in her Whanganui home by a drive-by shooting targeting her father in what was a Mongrel Mob-Black Power rivalry.

Police Association president Chris Cahill said this tragic case came to mind when considering how callous - and dangerous - last year’s activities were.

Senior Tribesmen member Okusitino Tae in court. Photo / Doug Sherring

“We should never have to repeat that tragedy and if that’s not the biggest lesson of these gang members, that it’s young members of whānau that will end up paying the biggest price for this, then nothing will get the message out and they don’t realise that.”

The National Party - which obtained the Gang Intelligence Centre report under the Official Information Act - is pitching tougher laws to get that message across.

Its police spokesman Mark Mitchell said National policy - like introducing non-consorting orders and banning patches - are helping in other jurisdictions.

 “Some of this legislation was passed in Western Australia where it’s been so effective that the gangs are now talking about forming their own political party so they can repeal laws that were put in place over there.

“We know that some of this legislation does work, that it’s tough, and we feel the Government should pick it up and pass it on.”

Police Minister Ginny Andersen said Operation Cobalt - targeting gangs - has already seen record numbers of arrests and weapons and drugs seized.

She said legislation making it easier to recover illegal money from gangs is up for its final reading this week.

- RNZ