Traffic fines up 199 percent under Labour
Friday 25 Feb 2005
Dr Muriel Newman - Press Releases - Crime & Justice
The number of traffic offence and infringement notices issued by police has skyrocketed 199 percent since Labour came
to office, ACT Deputy Leader and Police spokesman Dr Muriel Newman revealed today.
The MP released new figures obtained from Police Minister George Hawkins that show police issued 443,934 traffic
tickets in 1999, compared with 1,329,889 last year.
"These figures are damning proof that Helen Clark has turned our hard-working police into revenue gatherers, rather
than crime fighters," Dr Newman said.
"Labour's soft-on-crime approach shows it is more interested in ticketing motorists than bringing murderers and rapists
to justice - and this at a time when violent crime has surged ahead by 13.5 percent.
"Violent crime is spiralling out of control, with many brutal murders hardly considered newsworthy anymore. Yet the
Labour Party is dishing out tickets to motorists at an astonishing rate while the thugs are getting away with murder.
"New Zealanders no longer feel safe in their homes. They deserve more protection from the crims who threaten them. It's
time for the Labour Party to get its policing priorities in line with public opinion," Dr Newman said.
ENDS