Levin is Horowhenua's largest town. Photo: Gustavo Furtado, Wikimedia Commons
Police have flooded to the town of Levin after five gang shootings in one week.
The shootings are believed to be caused by an internal gang feud and have authorities worried about members of the public getting caught in the crossfire.
Police have described the shootings, which has injured two people, as "brainless violence" and launched 'Operation Bath'.
Officers have been brought in from the central district to bolster the number of officers patrolling the streets in Levin. Some of the officers are armed.
A Gang Conflict Warrant has also been enacted for Ōtaki, Shannon, Foxton and Levin to give police more powers to search and seize weapons in vehicles.
Five shootings in one week
The shootings started on the morning of 18 August after a man turned up to a healthcare centre with a gunshot wound to his thigh. He was taken to Palmerston North hospital in a serious condition. Police confirmed this person has since left hospital.
That night, police were called after a drive-by house shooting on Hinemoa Street. No occupants of the house were injured but they and their neighbours were shaken by the shooting.
Early the following day, five shots were heard on Mabel Street. Police later found it was a shed that had been shot at.
The next day, a person was found at midday on Bartholomew Road with serious injuries from a gunshot wound. He was taken to hospital. They have since been discharged.
Another house, this time on Vincent Drive, was fired at during the early hours of Saturday morning.
The shootings were at Hinemoa Street, Mabel Street and Vincent Drive. A person was found with gunshot wounds on Bartholomew Road. Photo: Google Maps/RNZ
What's behind the spate of shootings?
University of Canterbury sociologist and gang expert Dr Jarrod Gilbert told RNZ Levin was traditionally the homeland of the Nomads, and has had its gang challenges for years.
"They [the Nomads] ruled that place with an iron fist - have done for decades - but in more recent times, other groups have established there, most notably the Mongrel Mob," Dr Gilbert said.
Manawatū area commander Inspector Ross Grantham said the conflict appeared to be between members of the same gang.
The Mongrel Mob and the Nomads both had a presence in Horowhenua, he said. However, police would not confirm which gang was involved.
Horowhenua District Mayor Bernie Wanden told RNZ he understood the shootings were linked and gang related, involving a disgruntled member of one gang.
"From what I understand, [it's] an internal gang-related issue, where someone is not happy with whatever is going on within their organisation."
Horowhenua District Mayor Bernie Wanden said he understood the shootings involved a disgruntled member of one gang. Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver
Dr Gilbert said often internal gang conflicts are around concerns with and challenges for leaderships. However, the dispute could be anything from breaking the rules to clashes over romantic relationships, he added.
"Often gang violence gets gang violence. There is a tit-for-tat thing that happens, and so once there's violence, there's a need for revenge and so that's how it can escalate," he said.
"The police are aware of that and they attempt to put in fire breaks by blanket policing the gangs, which sometimes doesn't have immediate success, but it always does have success."
He said if one party shoots up a place, the other needs to react. The 'firebreak' is a strategy to calm things down between the two parties and stop the escalation through tactics such as increased police presence.
"Gang violence will flare up. It tends to burn very brightly but, thankfully, for quite a short period," Dr Gilbert.
What are police doing?
The number of officers patrolling the streets and investigating the crimes have tripled in response to the shootings.
Since the Gang Conflict Warrant was put in place, police have seized several weapons including five guns, from vehicle stops.
On Monday, police said officers impounded a vehicle which allegedly drove towards a police car carrying out patrols, then failed to stop on request in Levin.
Grantham said that officers' worry was that a member of the public or a family member could get caught up in the behaviour if it continued.
He had "put the word out" to the leaders of the two gangs in the area to see if the matter could be sorted out.
"We've done it with success in the past, so yes I am very hopeful."
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