The National Party launches its law and order discussion document earlier this week.

The National Party wants to ban gang patches and insignia in public places and create an Australian-style "Strike Force Raptor" police unit to crack down on gangs.

The actions are among a raft of proposals in the Opposition's law and order discussion document, which signals what the "party of law and order" would look at implementing if it got back into power after the 2020 election.

This was only the beginning of National's war on gangs, as it still planned to release a more comprehensive "gang plan" next year.

Other proposals to crack down on gangs included revoking parole for those who associated with gangs and creating a new sentence for violent gang crime.

BRADLEY AMBROSE/STUFF The National party wants to create an Australian-styled "Strike Force Raptor" police unit to crack down on gangs.

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The proposals are not yet firm policy and could be jettisoned before the next election.

National Party leader Simon Bridges said gang numbers were increasing at almost twice the rate of new police recruits and the new police unit would harass and interfere with gang activity.

It would be modelled on the New South Wales "Strike Force Raptor" unit that was set up to target gang activity of outlaw motorcycle gangs and associates.

ABIGAIL DOUGHERTY/STUFF The National Party released its law and order discussion document on Tuesday. Leader Simon Bridges said gang numbers were increasing at almost twice the rate of new police recruits and the new police unit would harass and interfere with gang activity.

National's police spokesperson Brett Hudson said the unit could check benefit payments and tax records for gang members.

"If someone was punched outside a nightclub by a gang member, the unit would take over the case. If gang members didn't pay their traffic fines, it would follow up to ensure their driver licences were taken away."

The specialist officers would check gang clubhouses and use council rules to shut them down for shoddy workmanship or unconsented work

For example, if alcohol was being served at the gang pad, the officers would invoke legislation so gangs would need a liquor licence.

John Kirk-Anderson/STUFF Jarrod Gilbert, of Canterbury University, talks about how the gang scene has changed in the 25 years since Once Were Warriors came out.

National's Justice spokesman Mark Mitchell said banning gang patches was a way to take back control from the gangs.

"Gangs peddle misery in our communities, manufacturing and dealing drugs and carrying out violence. As a former police officer, I've seen first-hand the harm they cause, and National won't stand for it."

This year patched Mongrel Mob members had taken over Opotiki town centre and raised their flag at the war memorial and carried out initiation ceremonies on Te Mata Peak, he said.

Patched gang members had also blocked families from leaving the Wellington ferry terminal, he said.

"Gang patches and insignia are intimidating. We believe New Zealanders should be able to go about their lives without fear and intimidation. Gangs have no regard for the rest of society. They thrive on fear and intimidation. It's time we put a stop to that."

Whanganui banned gang patches in public in 2009 , but this was later ruled illegal by the High Court. The ban was significantly narrowed to meet the court's requirements.

The Government was currently already working on a number measures to crack down on gang activity, including providing additional police to specifically work on organised crime.

Police Minister Stuart Nash was also considering new police powers, through a review of the Crimes Act and proceeds of crime laws, that will go after gang hierarchy. Nash had also proposed Firearm Prohibition Orders (FPOs) that aim to keep guns out of the hands of gangs.

When National announced it was going after gangs cheating benefits, Nash said National had no new ideas around gangs and Bridges seemed to have only just realised that gangs have a presence in New Zealand.

PRISON REFORM

National's Corrections spokesman David Bennett said the party was proposing tougher measures for prisoners to get parole, so the privilege was not abused.

This included denying parole to convicted murderers if they refused to reveal the location of a body - a similar law was currently being considered in the UK and was a new policy in Queensland.

Prisoners should not rely on early release unless they had done the hard yards to deserve it, he said.

Offenders who did not have NCEA Level 2 literacy and numeracy requirements would also not be eligible for early release, he said.

"The current Government wants to lower the prison population but has no plan to reduce crime. We will ensure criminals are punished for committing crimes, but also that prisoners are rehabilitated so they go on to lead productive lives."

TOM LEE/STUFF National’s Corrections spokesman David Bennett said the party was proposing tougher measures for prisoners to get parole so the privilege was not abused.

National also planned to make working prisons compulsory.

LAW AND ORDER

National MPs were was also reviewing whether a person should do additional time if they carried out multiple crimes and proposed to widen the clean slate programme for young offenders, increase penalties for the most serious young offenders and give police more powers to detain them.

The party also proposed removing bail in favour of monitored release, removing warnings and increasing sentences.

It also wanted to reintroduce and update the Meth Action Plan, increase penalties for those caught supplying synthetics and reintroducing a pilot programme of mental health nurses in police watch houses.

National would bring back targets for police on reducing violent crime victimisations, reducing reoffending, reducing family violence victimisations.

ROSA WOODS/STUFF National’s police spokesperson Brett Hudson said the party would bring back targets for police - including reducing violent crime victimisations, reducing reoffending, reducing family violence and ensuring 95 per cent of New Zealanders live within 25 kilometres of a 24/7 on-duty police officer.

SPEEDING UP COURTS

There were also plans to streamline the courts system and adding performance measures for District and High Courts within the discussion document.

National believed Justices of the Peace could be used more for minor offences and traffic cases to free up judges' time. It wanted to extend court hours, using them at night and on weekends, to ensure people didn't have to wait months for their cases to be heard.

It also wanted to make the Victims Notification Register an opt-out system and ensure sexual violence cases were dealt with within 12 months.

COLLETE DEVLIN/STUFF The New Zealand Police Association President Chris Cahill and Police Minister Stuart Nash spoke at the annual conference about the changing face of organised crime and problems with gangs.

Bridges said as a former Crown Prosecutor, who worked on more than a hundred jury trials, law and order was personal for him.

The proposals would put victims at the heart of the justice system, he said.

"National believes victims should get justice, criminals should be held accountable for the harm they cause and offenders should be rehabilitated so they can become contributing members of our society."