Daylight Robbery Shows Labour's Police Failure

Friday 5 Nov 2004

Dr Muriel Newman - Press Releases - Crime & Justice

That criminals were bold enough to rob Michael Hill Jeweller in broad daylight yesterday, and in the middle of the Whangarei CBD, highlights the Labour Government's complete failure in the police portfolio, ACT New Zealand Deputy Leader and Police Spokesman Dr Muriel Newman said today.

"The fact that this robbery was committed during the mid-afternoon, at a high-profile store in a bustling part of the city, shows that the offenders were confident that there would be no police around to apprehend them," Dr Newman said.

"Were central Whangarei properly policed, however, these robbers would have been caught - in fact, the robbery may never even have happened, as the regular police presence would have deterred such a crime.

"New Zealand has one of the hardest-working police forces in the world, yet we are one of most under-policed nations in the western world - with only 18 sworn officers per 10,000 population. To improve that ratio to match the policing levels of Australia, we would require an additional 2,512 sworn police officers.

"A number of violent incidents has seen community concern over rising crime in Whangarei escalate over recent months, yet the police's response has been to cut the number of officers on the beat from three to one.

"But the problem is not with police themselves. Police are doing the best they can, with the inadequate resources and flawed operating instructions they have been given.

"The blame for all of this lies with the Labour Government and its soft-on-crime policies, which are failing to deter crime and keep communities safe," Dr Newman said.

ENDS

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