Verdict 2017 debate on rising crime: Real solutions to crime
I’d like to begin my comments by saying that any politician who tells you that there is a silver bullet to fix crime is taking you for a fool. Sloganeering from people trying to sound as tough as possible is simply about vote buying, and there is no evidence that it will make a blind bit of difference.
As an opposition politician, it would be easy, and perhaps politically expedient for me to take this course, but I am more interested in real solutions to crime. Given the terrible impact of crime that I have seen on members of my electorate, I believe that we are duty bound to take the issue seriously and not just fish for votes.
We certainly need adequate sentences for serious crimes, and I believe that the perpetrators of some of the recent violent robberies need to receive stiff jail terms (the maximum sentence for aggravated robbery is fourteen years). In the end, however, jail sentences happen after a crime has occurred, and the evidence that longer sentences reduce crime is weak. If this were the case, then the developed country with the toughest sentences, the USA, would have the lowest crime rate. In fact, their rate of violent crime is the highest by a large margin.
It is more important that we develop policies that prevent people from being victimised by crime and that is what Labour is focussed on. One area that we believe will make a real difference is a better investment in community policing.
Over the past nine years under National, the number of police in Auckland has barely risen, while our population has exploded. How often do you now see local police walking the beat in your local shopping area? It’s not the fault of the police, it’s the fact that their resources have been cut. I have been told by police that in the western half of the Auckland isthmus, there are only three active patrol cars on duty at night. Here in Mt Roskill (and in many other places) our local police station was closed to the public.
Labour has a fresh approach. We will put investment back into local community policing, starting with 1000 new front line officers. Having police based in the heart of our communities will deter crime, assist in the collection of intelligence, and provide a more timely response. Instead of closing local police stations we will ensure that there are more community police kiosks in local shopping areas.
This is the choice on offer this election: tax cuts under National, or investment in public services like community-based policing to keep our communities safe under Labour.
I’d like to begin my comments by saying that any politician who tells you that there is a silver bullet to fix crime is taking you for a fool. Sloganeering from people trying to sound as tough as possible is simply about vote buying, and there is no evidence that it will make a blind bit of...
I’d like to begin my comments by saying that any politician who tells you that there is a silver bullet to fix crime is taking you for a fool. Sloganeering from people trying to sound as tough as possible is simply about vote buying, and there is no evidence that it will make a blind bit of difference.
As an opposition politician, it would be easy, and perhaps politically expedient for me to take this course, but I am more interested in real solutions to crime. Given the terrible impact of crime that I have seen on members of my electorate, I believe that we are duty bound to take the issue seriously and not just fish for votes.
We certainly need adequate sentences for serious crimes, and I believe that the perpetrators of some of the recent violent robberies need to receive stiff jail terms (the maximum sentence for aggravated robbery is fourteen years). In the end, however, jail sentences happen after a crime has occurred, and the evidence that longer sentences reduce crime is weak. If this were the case, then the developed country with the toughest sentences, the USA, would have the lowest crime rate. In fact, their rate of violent crime is the highest by a large margin.
It is more important that we develop policies that prevent people from being victimised by crime and that is what Labour is focussed on. One area that we believe will make a real difference is a better investment in community policing.
Over the past nine years under National, the number of police in Auckland has barely risen, while our population has exploded. How often do you now see local police walking the beat in your local shopping area? It’s not the fault of the police, it’s the fact that their resources have been cut. I have been told by police that in the western half of the Auckland isthmus, there are only three active patrol cars on duty at night. Here in Mt Roskill (and in many other places) our local police station was closed to the public.
Labour has a fresh approach. We will put investment back into local community policing, starting with 1000 new front line officers. Having police based in the heart of our communities will deter crime, assist in the collection of intelligence, and provide a more timely response. Instead of closing local police stations we will ensure that there are more community police kiosks in local shopping areas.
This is the choice on offer this election: tax cuts under National, or investment in public services like community-based policing to keep our communities safe under Labour.
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