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Waikato Hospital bans gang patches

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Mon, 10 Jan 2011 3:11p.m.

Gang members have so far been happy to remove patches

Gang members have so far been happy to remove patches

Over the last three weeks, Waikato Hospital has been asking gang members to remove their patches before visiting friends and family.

Hospital staff say the trial has been a success, so will become policy as of today.

Twenty-five gang members have been asked to remove their patches before entering in the last few weeks, and all have complied, says security manager Dean Ria.

"This has been at a time when we’ve had both Black Power and Mongrel Mob members at Waikato Hospital visiting fellow gang members," he says.

"Nursing staff have been very appreciative of the rule which allows them to do their jobs without intimidation."

The policy extends to all Waikato DHB hospitals.

Whanganui banned gang patches city-wide in 2009, and other towns are considering similar bylaws.

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Comments

11 Jan 2011 12:16a.m.

Glocks wrote:

Agreed Axel! These monkeys dispise the state, reject society's rules, and don't give a toss about anyone else....yet when they've beaten the $hit out of each other, they expect the taxpayer to fix them up so they can go out and do it all over again! The only thing these guys respect is strength - its about time the state took a hard line against them.

10 Jan 2011 07:50p.m.

Jax wrote:

@Todd - once again you prove that you are a grade A clown. And what is a pakeho?

Gang patches a piece of art? Yeah just like tagging improves the neighbourhood.

10 Jan 2011 06:38p.m.

Todd wrote:

Gang patches are a piece of art and should be appreciated. I love gang patches yet i am a white pakeho

10 Jan 2011 03:42p.m.

Axel wrote:

Just by removing the patch does not remove association. Why should a group of people who break the law, are violent etc even be allowed on public hospital grounds? Let the injured suffer at the gang HQ. But NZ is far to liberal, soft, PC, call it what you will, to treat criminals like the lower class citizens that they are.

10 Jan 2011 03:19p.m.

Pete wrote:

I object to the gang patches as much as anyone else but where is this going to stop? If we ban certain items because they might offend will we be asking Christians not to wear crosses or bring bibles when visiting friends because they might offend athiests or muslims? No, don't say thats rediculous, a British Nurse was recently forced to resign because she would not remove her cross.