While National Party police spokesperson Mark Mitchell claimed that the Labour Government's alleged "soft on crime" policies had contributed to a 56% increase in gang membership since 2017, Police Minister Chris Hipkins responded that the Police Gang List included people who had left the gangs or who were associates rather than formal gang members.
National Party police spokesperson Mark Mitchell argued that Labour Government's "soft on crime" policies led to a substantial increase in gang membership since 2017. However, Police Minister Chris Hipkins clarified that the Police Gang List included people who had left or were merely associated with gangs rather than being formal members.