Thursday, October 12, 2017
BURNOUT marks are clearly visible on Richard Street, left behind by gang members paying tribute to a dead baby. Photos Ross McCullough OB3097-1
Ross McCullough
OPOTIKI police staff responded in force on Tuesday when members of a newly-established Mongrel Mob chapter, gathered for a baby’s tangi, burnt substantial tyre rubber on the road as a type of tribute.
Eastern Bay of Plenty rural response manager, Senior Sergeant Richard Miller said a baby, born to members of the newly established Barbarian Mongrel Mob Chapter, died last week.
While still being investigated, the baby’s death was not thought to be suspicious and the case had been referred to the coroner.
Mr Miller said police were notified by a member of the public of the gathering and burnouts happening in Richard Street, near Peria House Village where there were elderly people living.
All Opotiki police staff attended the call-out about 10.30am.
He said members of the Barbarian Mongrel Mob Chapter that had gathered for the tangi, thought it would be fitting to do burnouts on the street in honour of the deceased baby.
The two vehicles involved were impounded.
Mr Miller said police were only able to identify one driver and although he wasn’t arrested on Tuesday, he would be prosecuted on a charge of sustained loss of traction.
Thankfully, the streets were almost empty at the time of the burnouts but later in the day vehicles were parked up on both sides of Richard Street.
While at the scene, Mr Miller said a member of the public had commented to him, in honouring the death of one child, those responsible had put other children at risk. This had been discussed with those at the gathering.
The rest of the tangi went without incident but there was a large presence of patched Mongrel Mob members on High Street later that evening.
Mr Miller said the member of the public who alerted them to the burnouts had done the right thing in reporting it.
He has assured the Opotiki community that police will act on any information received from them and actively police such gatherings if laws were being broken, regardless of what the circumstances might be.