$11.9M Reinvested to Combat Meth and Gang Harm in NZ Communities

Money seized from criminals will be reinvested into fighting methamphetamine and gang-related harm in communities across New Zealand, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee and Associate Police Minister Casey Costello announced today.

A total of $11.9 million over 12 months will be provided to the Resilience to Organised Crime in Communities (ROCC) programme through the Proceeds of Crime Fund.

Gangs and meth destroy lives, fuel violent crime, and make communities less safe, says Mrs McKee.

This Government is not going to sit back while organised crime profits from addiction and intimidation.

We are taking money off criminals and putting it straight back into stopping gangs from recruiting, reducing meth harm, and supporting practical frontline initiatives that work.

The ROCC programme operates across seven regions and brings together government agencies, community organisations, service providers, and local leaders to reduce organised crime and drug-related harm.

The programme works alongside Police enforcement activity to help communities recover after gang and methamphetamine operations, prevent young people from being pulled into organised crime, and support offenders to move away from criminal lifestyles.

When Police crack down on gangs and drug networks, communities are often left dealing with the fallout. ROCC helps provide immediate support on the ground so gangs cannot simply move back in and regain influence, says Mrs McKee.

Examples of ROCC-backed initiatives include: In Porirua, WELLfed expanded programmes teaching cooking, life skills, healthy relationships, and parenting support to vulnerable families and young people. A third of participating young people re-engaged with education.

In Otara, a Youth Multi Agency Collaboration supported 109 young people who had come to Police attention. More than 76 percent have not reoffended.

In the Bay of Plenty, Live for More worked directly with high-risk young men vulnerable to gang recruitment, helping connect them with counselling, employment pathways, and stable support networks instead of gangs and drugs.

Strong enforcement will always be essential, but lasting reductions in organised crime also require stopping gangs from recruiting vulnerable young people in the first place, says Ms Costello.

This increased funding for ROCC provides greater funding certainty for providers supporting programmes with measurable outcomes – keeping young people in school, reducing reoffending, helping people into work, and breaking cycles of addiction and crime.

ROCC teams have also worked alongside Police operations in places including Northland, Tauranga, and Opotiki, and Hawke’s Bay to provide direct support to affected communities following gang and methamphetamine enforcement activity.

This Government is serious about restoring law and order and protecting communities from the damage caused by gangs and methamphetamine.

Funding is being provided through the Proceeds of Crime Fund’s out-of-cycle process for time-sensitive initiatives. This is not a Budget 2026 funding decision.