Napier residents are urging the government to do more to tackle the root causes of poverty and crime that's led to an explosion of the gang population.
The pleas were made at a public meeting in Taradale yesterday afternoon - held exactly a week after a shots were fired in the middle of the day in the suburb's town centre during a massive brawl between 30 to 40 Black Power and Mongrel Mob gang members.
The Police say they can't arrest their way out of the problem and there must be a multi-agency approach to stop gangs.
But many locals say not enough is being done to stop young people from joining gangs in the first place.
RNZ Hawke's Bay reporter Anusha Bradley was there, and filed this report.
