' Gangsta' style gangs have been a presence in New Zealand since the early 1990s but individual gangs of this type are typically short lived. Examples of local street gangs in 2007 were the Junior Don Kings (JDK) and Dope Money Sex (DMS) of Auckland. The Police named the three most prominent 'New Zealand gangs' as Black Power, the Mongrel Mob, and the Nomads, as of 2007. Organised crime gangs such as those that currently dominate in New Zealand mostly date from the 1970s. Some had friends in high places, with Prime Minister Robert Muldoon partying at a Black Power pad in 1976 and Wellington Mayor Michael Fowler stumping bail for seven of them after an altercation with the Mongrel Mob.
īy the 1970s, established gangs included Black Power, Mongrel Mob, Head Hunters and Stormtroopers. New Zealand has had youth and street gangs since the 1950s, according to sociologist Jarrod Gilbert. The New Zealand Police have distinguished between 'New Zealand gangs' with predominantly Maori and Pacific Islander membership, outlaw motorcycle gangs and local street gangs.