Success for police radio show warning of gangs

A police radio show telling Samoan parents who speak limited English about the dangers of youth gangs is working so well it may be extended.

Police said the 30-minute programme on Radio Samoa in Auckland was reaching Samoan parents who had little idea of what their children were doing.

The move was made to get the message to parents whose English was limited, programme announcer Constable Papaloa Talosaga said in the latest issue of Police News magazine.

"When we were out in the community we were finding a lot of the parents of the youth we were dealing with had very little knowledge about what was happening with their children," he said.

"We thought it would be a good way to educate and inform parents about the dangers of youth gangs as well as other matters."

He said the parents were also unsure about New Zealand and the New Zealand way of life.

The show had grown steadily in popularity since it began late last year and Mr Talosaga said there was now a move to extend it from 30 minutes, to an hour.

He said the show also talked about other police issues.

- NZPA