One of Queenstown’s top cops believes ‘Chinese whispers’ are at play in the resort relating to incidents involving gangs.
Detective senior sergeant Malcolm Inglis says cops are ‘‘pretty happy’’ allegations of a gang rape in the resort recently appear to be ‘‘just a rumour’’.
‘‘It’s something that’s escalated — no one’s heard any information.
‘‘I’ve talked to our support agencies, they’ve heard that rumour too.
‘‘We think it’s all been generated from a home invasion, involving some gang members, a few weeks ago.’’
Details on that alleged incident are scarce, though Mountain Scene understands it may have occurred at a Thompson Street address early last month.
Inglis: ‘‘[It] was not that serious, but serious enough … it was pretty minor, a low-level thing.’’
While gang members frequently holiday in Queenstown, he says there’s been no feedback from bar operators, with whom cops have ‘‘reasonably good relationships’’, indicating there have been any issues in bars.
Further, he says, there’s no evidence any initiations have been held here, nor of any gang trying to set up.
When asked if there’s anything for residents to be particularly worried about, in terms of public safety, Inglis responds: ‘‘No, not at all.
‘‘We are having gang members visit here on a reasonably regular basis [and] spend lots of cash.
‘‘There’s obviously gang connections, gang associations and [people who] have been gang members in the area living and working … but [there is] no evidence of anyone trying to establish a gang.’’
However, late-night assaults in the resort are on the rise, and they are ‘‘of concern’’, Inglis says.
But the alleged offenders involved in those incidents are a broad mix of people ‘‘who drink too much’’.
‘‘There’s obviously more activity in the bars … with town being busier, the assault rate’s gone up slightly.’’
One local hospo operator, whom Scene’s agreed not to name, says they’ve noticed an increased presence of gangs on the streets later at night, and says people do have to be more cautious in general.
Queenstown councillor Craig ‘Ferg’ Ferguson says he’s also noticed a more visible gang presence in the Whakatipu, but urges people not to make assumptions.
‘‘If they are contributing to life, or the community, in a positive way, then long may that continue.’’
However, he has overriding concerns about the increase in people who are coming to Queenstown ‘‘to wreak havoc’’.
‘‘And that’s not solely just looking at gangs.
‘‘I think there’s a fair bit of concern out there, but we’ve just got to have faith in the police.’’
