“One phone call launched the entire response,” says Hannah O’Leary, planning and programme support manager for the Resilience to Organised Crime in Communities (ROCC) programme. “That’s the power of having the right people at the table before the crisis hits.”

The result was Pathways to Healing – a meth harm-reduction campaign featuring billboards, social media, drug-checking clinics and, crucially, access to real help.

ROCC had already brought iwi, Police, health providers and community agencies together, so the response was fast – and owned by the community.

“Because we had addiction specialists, iwi reps and health staff already engaged, it wasn’t about building something from scratch,” Hannah says, “it was about activating what we’d built together.” Porirua is also pioneering a community-led gang engagement framework. But rather than mirroring overseas gang-exit models that often rely on relocation or cutting ties, its approach recognises the complex whakapapa of New Zealand’s gangs.

“In Australia, you can move out of state as part of your exit,” says John O’Keeffe. “Here, you’re often trying to exit a gang in the same street you live on.”

That reality demands a culturally grounded, localised response – led by iwi, not imposed from outside. “Aligning with ROCC’s ethos of ‘with community and by community’ you need the community to walk alongside them as they transition from gang life,” says Hannah.

ROCC operates in seven regions – Porirua, Northland, Counties Manukau, Bay of Plenty, Eastern District, the West Coast and Southland. Between them, more than 80 community-led programmes are on the go with another 29 in train, ranging from rangatahi mentoring to prisoner reintegration and whānau navigation services.

“Every ROCC site is different, because the people, and their needs, are different,” says Hannah.

Early evaluations show ROCC is producing tangible results. Strong social returns on investment include:

• $6.70 for every $1 spent on a prison reintegration programme in Bay of Plenty.
• $5.10 per $1 for a Southland driver licensing programme aimed at at-risk youth.
• $4.60 per $1 on a Counties Manukau navigation service for vulnerable whānau.
• $3.20 per $1 on Live for More, a therapy programme for at-risk youth.

“These are targeted, effective initiatives and they work because they’re locally owned,” says Hannah.

And it’s not just public-facing campaigns. ROCC also helped ensure Police’s AWHI referral system includes meth harm reduction providers. “That one simple change meant frontline officers had real referral options at their fingertips,” Hannah says, “which means fewer people falling through the cracks – and fewer police stuck in repeat callouts.”

And while Police hosts the ROCC programme, it’s not about enforcement taking centre stage to bust meth’s stronghold.

“Police are the only agency with enforcement powers, yes,” says ROCC’s principal adviser Ian Futcher, “but ROCC is about matching that enforcement with holistic responses so we can actually break the cycle.”

ROCC’s mission is broader: relieve pressure from frontline police and build resilience in communities hit hardest by organised crime.

“When you’ve got people on meth, police get called in to deal with the fallout,” Hannah says. “But if we can stop the harm before it happens, that’s fewer people in custody, fewer families torn apart, and less risk to our officers.”

For police and custody staff on the frontlines of meth harm, that makes a difference. “This isn’t about being soft,” Hannah says, “it’s about being smart – and giving people a real shot at getting out of the cycle.”

Crucially, ROCC is designed to last. Every initiative over $75,000 undergoes a bespoke evaluation – not just for reporting, but for learning and improvement. “We’re not afraid to test and learn,” says Hannah. “If something doesn’t work, we ask why and we adapt.”

Even if funding were to dry up, ROCC leaders insist the way of working would remain.

“ROCC isn’t a funding stream,” Ian says. “It’s an operating model. The infrastructure, the relationships, the local ownership – that’s what makes it sustainable.” – CARLA AMOS