Police attribute an estimated 15 percent drop in gang members in Wanganui to the council's ban on gang patches and strong police anti-gang operations.
Under a bylaw Wanganui District Council introduced last September, people wearing gang insignia in Wanganui could be fined $2000 and the insignia confiscated.
Wanganui Mayor Michael Laws is hailing a police report on the bylaw's impact as a vindication of the council's tough stance.
The report says that within the first nine months of the bylaw being in place, there have been 13 prosecutions for wearing gang insignia. After October the number of prosecutions has fallen to no more than one a month.
"There has only been one prosecution to date for wearing full gang regalia (ie leather gang patch), which occurred on the first day the bylaw was introduced. The remaining prosecutions were for breaches of wearing clothing (usually T shirts) that show gang affiliation."
Police believe the bylaw was acting as an effective deterrent and had contributed to:
* overt gang presence being less noticeable by the general public
* a reduction in levels of intimidation for the community
* a reduction in confrontations between gangs.
Wanganui police said that since last year they had also implemented a number of anti-gang policies.
"Between March 2009 and March 2010 there has been an estimated 15 percent fall in the number of gang members in Wanganui. This may be due to the bylaw, but strong anti-gang operations by police have also contributed to gang members moving out of the Wanganui area or receiving custodial sentences."
Mr Laws said the police report backed up anecdotal evidence.
"The bylaw has given the police a power that allows them to target gangs and gang associates more effectively. Gangs are starting to vacate our city -- that's a brilliant result. It is a lot easier elsewhere for these criminals."
NZPA