Karl du Fresne: Kiwi life

They closed the schools for several days recently in the small New Zealand town of Opotiki. A gang leader had been killed and the police expected trouble as his associates massed in their hundreds for the funeral. Principals were worried about their pupils’ safety and many of the town’s older residents similarly decided it was wiser to stay at home.

John MacDonald: Actions and consequences - unless you're a gangster

Did you see all those Mongrel Mob guys taking over the streets of Ōpōtiki on the TV news last night? [14/6/23]

Talk about riding roughshod. Hanging out on the decks of utes, the motorbikes and all that. Oh yes, and the Police standing on the sidelines filming them with their phones.

Mike Hosking: We've lost our real world view when it comes to Ōpōtiki

What I value about people like Mark Mitchell is they bring real world experience to a situation.

Mark was a cop, he was a dog handler and he has been to Ōpōtiki. When he went to Ōpōtiki 20 years ago it was a different world.

Heather du Plessis-Allan: What the police in Ōpōtiki endured today was embarrassing

It must’ve sucked to be a police officer in Ōpōtiki today, having to provide traffic control for the Mongrel Mob so they could have total uninterrupted use of the road for the funeral procession.

That must’ve been a really cool experience for our officers, providing an escort to a bunch of people who probably deserve to see the inside of a jail cell, rather than getting waved through like VIPs or dignitaries.

But that is exactly what happened today. 

Kerre Woodham: This Ōpōtiki situation is a result of gangs being allowed to do whatever the hell they want

With miles and miles of open sea, 160 kilometres of coastline, 13 clean, fast flowing rivers and 11,200 hectares of native bush, the Ōpōtiki District is the perfect home for a community that appreciates and enjoys outdoor activities and the natural environment.

It would also appear to be an ideal habitat for gangs and gang members right now. Ōpōtiki, population 9300, is in effect, closed for business.