New data obtained by National shows the number of people being granted bail despite opposition from Police has more than doubled since 2018, National’s Police spokesperson Mark Mitchell says.

“In 2018, bail was granted despite Police opposition 2,061 times. By 2022, that number had skyrocketed to 5,084 – an increase of 147 per cent.

“Unsurprisingly, these figures coincide with a 97 per cent increase in the number of people absconding from electronically monitored bail.

“The data couldn’t be clearer. There is an obvious link between the courts increasingly ignoring Police opposition to bail and the number of people absconding from monitored bail.

“At a time when Kiwis are facing a 33 per cent increase in violent crime, this is incredibly concerning. Police know better than anyone the risks these offenders pose to our communities, but their experience and advice is increasingly side-lined.

“Labour has sent repeated, clear signals to the Justice system throughout their time in office that a soft approach is preferred. They repealed the three strikes legislation, which was about the only tough piece of sentencing legislation on the books and have ideologically reduced the prison population by 25 per cent, despite an overall increase in offending.

“The longer this continues, the more likely we are to see tragic stories of people released from custody on bail only to go and re-offend. Just two days ago, a patched Head Hunters member pleaded guilty to the double murder of his ex-partner and her father while on electronically monitored bail awaiting trial for another shooting in Auckland.

“New Zealanders are increasingly worried about safety in their communities. The sad reality is New Zealand has become a more dangerous country under this soft-on-crime Government. National is the party that takes public safety seriously and will work hard to restore law and order so Kiwis can feel safe again.

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