NORML President furious at Police reaction to gang threats

The President of NORML NZ is calling for all police involved in the latest Daktory raid to lose their jobs for negligence.

Julian Crawford is laying a Complaint with the Independent Police Conduct Authority after police were called to the club deal with gang threats.

However, police repeated the gang’s earlier threat to kick the door down and began an 8 hour raid on the club, which is NORML’s Auckland branch HQ.

“We no longer feel safe calling the police when there is a gang threat,” Mr Crawford said. “The police and gangs are now working hand in hand to shut down community cannabis clubs, driving demand into the black market.”

It has been an open secret that cannabis can be obtained and consumed at the Daktory and police have known this for 3 years. Police even describe the club as a “safe-haven” for cannabis users.

We previously had an arrangement with Police where we could report criminal behaviour without fear of reprisals. This good relationship with police is now broken.

One Daktory member, a middle-aged women with no criminal history is now portrayed by police as a major drug dealer.

“If really feel for this woman, who is a medical user of cannabis and a devout Christian, she was terrified when the gangs came to the club and then 15 minutes later police kicked her door down and chucking her in prison.”

“The truth is that all members benefit from the proceeds of the Daktory’s ongoing civil disobedience campaign. The club will continue to operate its civil disobedience campaign until cannabis is legally regulated.”

"Police should protect the community and uphold the peace, when the apply the letter of the law and those are bad laws then they actually work to preserve violence and intimidation. If gangs return we will not be able to call the police and if someone is injured or killed their blood will be on the hands of the politicians that maintain cannabis prohibition.
We are asking for the publics’ support for our campaign to allow a safe, self regulated cannabis clubs for adults, which put profits back into the community."

ENDS

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