Police Squander Resources Charging Man for Protecting Property
"Police frequently complain they have insufficient resources to fight crime," notes Libertarianz Leader Russell Watkins.
"Yet, with their decision to charge Northland farmer Paul McIntyre with a firearms offence, the Police are showing New
Zealanders that they prefer to squander taxpayer resources hounding ordinary people protecting their lives & property rather than fighting hardened criminals."
"The role of the Police is to protect people and their property," says Watkins, "and when they are unable to provide
this protection it is only reasonable that people are allowed to protect themselves. This is especially so when someone
has taken the same action that Police would have taken if their property had been threatened. It is time," he declares,
"that the same law applied to both the Police & the public.
"If the Police genuinely want a safer community they could do no better than drop all charges against Mr. McIntyre & praise him as a model citizen. After all, it would certainly make the job of the Police easier if criminals had a
strong incentive to choose safer activities, and would help make this a safer place to live."
In order that New Zealanders are clear in future about being able to defend themselves, Watkins calls on the Government
to amend New Zealand's Bill of Rights to "protect New Zealanders right to self-defence, and to possess the means
thereof." And he calls on New Zealanders who value their own lives, property and family to join with him in supporting
Mr. McIntyre.