Armed police in Levin. Photo: Marika Khabazi
A Gang Conflict Warrant is in place in Levin, and locals say they're seeing the result of a heightened police presence, but fear for what happens when the police pack up and go.
Levin is a town on edge.
In the past month, the quiet Horowhenua community has been rattled by a spate of gang-related shootings, which locals say have shattered their sense of safety.
Once known more for its markets and friendly main street, and being the birthplace of rugby star Carlos Spencer, famed actor Rebecca Gibney, and noted journalist Pat Booth, Levin is now making headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Manawatū Standard senior journalist Alecia Rousseau tells The Detail that violence stems from ongoing tensions between rival gangs - Nomads and Mongrel Mob - and it is likely a toxic mix of turf battles, drugs, and personal grudges.
Bullets have been fired at houses, sheds, and cars, and even in broad daylight, she says. Two people have already been seriously injured by gunshots in separate incidents, leaving locals worried about what comes next.
"I think it's the recklessness of these shots, they are being fired at houses, at sheds, and they just have a bit of a concern around, 'is someone else going to be caught up in this?'" she says.
"They also have quite a concern that these members are travelling around the community with firearms and weapons in their vehicles; they've got a number of them, so that is a worry as well.
"It's simmering away, people are just waiting to know what is going to happen next."
The police response has been swift but stretched. Officers have flooded the town with extra patrols, checkpoints, and armed response teams.
A Gang Conflict Warrant has been enacted, which gives police more special powers under the Criminal Activity Intervention Legislation Act.
They can search vehicles and occupants of vehicles of suspected gang members, and seize firearms, weapons, and vehicles.
So far, seven arrests have been made, which "largely relate to police pulling people over and finding firearms in the vehicles or knives", Rousseau says.
"These aren't people who have done the shootings, so that is concerning. But there is a really strong 'no narking' culture within gangs, and that is still incredibly prevalent ... police have a really hard job trying to get through a culture like this."
She says some concerned locals, who live near where the shootings happened and deal with the gang members, believe "there have been new people who have moved to town that they don't recognise and that has created a situation where they are feeling really unsafe about what is actually going on".
But they have welcomed the increased police presence.
"Things have seemed to settle down ... one woman said to me, 'you can't go anywhere without seeing police', so they believe the heavy police presence has managed to kind of quell things for now.
"But I think their concern is if police leave, and when that happens, will this flare up again because we still don't really know who is responsible and why this is really occurring."
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