Wanganui Mayor Michael Laws has found an ally in a former police commander over what he says is a "bizarre and wrong" decision by fellow district councillors to accept an invitation to visit Hells Angels gang headquarters.
The invitation apparently did not include Mr Laws and so far three councillors - Rob Vinsen, Philippa Baker-Hogan and Sue Westwood - were understood to have accepted the invitation.
Mr Laws said Mr Vinsen was the "local criminal gangs' leading apologist" and Hells Angels were a criminal gang, heavily involved in drug-dealing, violence and other criminal acts.
High fences around the gang's headquarters in Kaikokopu Rd have come under scrutiny from the council after Parliament amended the Local Government Act to allow councils and police to seek a removal order for fences or other structures that were intimidating or contributed to illegal activities.
Councillor and former police commander and NZ First MP Rana Waitai said he did not know whether to be appalled or amused by the councillors' actions.
"These councillors, in my estimation, are gullible in believing that they can pay a courtesy call on a criminal organisation and thereby determine whether there is evidence of crime," he said.
"Quite clearly they have been sucked in by their would-be hosts who are not so stupid as to leave evidence of their criminal pursuits for councillors to inspect."
Mr Waitai said the councillors would not recognise signs of criminal activity.
"On the occasion that councillors visit them they will find that they are squeaky clean.
"It is unfortunate that the councillors are not prepared to believe police when they are told that Hells Angels are a criminal organisation."
Centrals Police District Commander Russell Gibson said police would fully support any application to remove the fencing.
"For some years now we have made it very clear that gangs are a community problem ... we will use every tactic, tool, and piece of legislation we have available to us to stamp out what we believe is a scourge on our society," he said.
"A well-known tactic used by gang members is to portray themselves as good old boys but behind that facade we have evidence that it is a very different story and we will not tolerate it."
Mr Vinsen said he thought Mr Laws' suggestion he was an apologist for gangs "a stupid, ridiculous statement".
"If a fence is going to come down from any property, there has to be just cause for that."
Mr Vinsen said if police produced evidence of criminal activity and showed that the fence was aiding that activity and making it difficult for them to perform their policing role, then he would support its removal.
NZPA