Two men face charges for displaying gang insignia in Whangārei court

Two men appeared in Whangārei District Court charged with displaying gang insignia in public. They are the first to be charged under a new law that took effect in November, banning gang patches in public places. The first man, 27, was arrested on November 29 for wearing a sweatshirt with gang insignia. The second man, 39, was arrested on December 6 after police received a report about him wearing a T-shirt with gang insignia. Both men were granted bail and will return to court in January. The 27-year-old is scheduled for January 6, while the 39-year-old will appear on January 8.