New Zealand's gang members with offensive tattoos could be forced to wear makeup just to cover them. This effort was announced by the country's incoming government, the National Party.
The National's police spokesperson Mark Mitchell said that if their proposed gang crackdown is approved, it would completely restrict clan members from showing their offensive ink patches. Here are other details that Mitchell shared on Thursday, Oct. 26.
New Zealand's Gang Members With Tattoos Could be Forced to Wear Makeup
An ex member of the MS-13 gang is pictured at Santa Ana prison, 60 km northwest of San Salvador, on May 21, 2019. - Former members of Salvadoran gangs -mostly of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and Barrio 18- claim to be willing to endure a painful process with laser technology.
According to The Guardian's latest report, Mitchell explained that if the crackdown goes ahead, gang members who are not able to cover their tattoos with jackets could face arrests.
This will happen unless they are willing to cover their faces and other parts of their bodies showing off tattoos with makeup.
"If the gangs think they are going to get around a ban on gang patches by having swastikas and offensive tattoos on their faces, then we'll take action to curb that," said the National Party's police spokesman.
Mitchell said that the proposed gang tattoo crackdown was based on the clan tattoo restriction in Western Australia in 2021. This legislation also allowed gang members to retain their skin ink patches by covering them with makeup.
"There are stories in Australia, where you have senior gang members over there that wake up in the morning and have to apply foundation," argued Mark Mitchell.
Some Opposes Gang Tattoo Crackdown
An ex member of the MS-13 gang is pictured at Santa Ana prison, 60 km northwest of San Salvador, on May 21, 2019. - Former members of Salvadoran gangs -mostly of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and Barrio 18- claim to be willing to endure a painful process with laser technology, that can take years.
Some individuals opposed and questioned the tattoo restriction of the National Party. These include Queensland University of Technology Associate Prof. Mark Lauchs.
He said that other states in the country even tried copying Western Australia's gang tattoo ban. However, one of the main issues concerning people is that New Zealand's proposed tattoo policy would make it hard to differentiate between gang and cultural tattoos.
This means that it could affect indigenous Polynesian people, such as the Maori, who are having facial tattoos because of their traditions.
Aside from the latest tattoo restriction proposed by the National Party, another policy against gang members was criticized by clan leaders.
This is specifically the patch ban. The Herald reported that gang leaders are concerned that the ban on patches could increase facial tattoos among gangsters.
Mongrel Mob Wahine Toa leader Paula Ormsby explained that no matter what restriction the government implements, gang members will find a way to express themselves visually. You can click here to learn more about what Ormsby argued.
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