Uploaded October 2019 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Gangs are growing at the fastest rate since the 1970s.
It's thought the huge profits being made from methamphetamine is to blame.
Over the past two years gang numbers have risen dramatically from just over 5,000, to 6729 - that's a 26 per cent increase.
“The gangs have come back into vogue, now they're getting young people in, young people attract young people and it just seems to be an element of 'cool' back into the gangs and so we're seeing this growth. And tremendous growth at that,” says gang expert, Jarrod Gilbert.
The police minister says drug money is partly to blame.
“Theres a number of factors of why gangs are on the increase - first of all the extreme amount of money being made by meth - police estimate $500 million every year goes into the back pocket of gangs,” says Stuart Nash.
Gangs are growing at the fastest rate since the 1970s.
It's thought the huge profits being made from methamphetamine is to blame.
Over the past two years gang numbers have risen dramatically from just over 5,000, to 6729 - that's a 26 per cent increase.
“The gangs have come back into vogue, now they're getting young people in, young people attract young people and it just seems to be an element of 'cool' back into the gangs and so we're seeing this growth. And tremendous growth at that,” says gang expert, Jarrod Gilbert.
The police minister says drug money is partly to blame.
“Theres a number of factors of why gangs are on the increase - first of all the extreme amount of money being made by meth - police estimate $500 million every year goes into the back pocket of gangs,” says Stuart Nash.
