- By Simeon Brown, MP for Pakuranga
Recently, there have been a lot of reports both locally and nationally about increasing rates of crime, with criminals getting bolder as a result of the Government going soft on crime.
Just in the last couple of weeks there have been multiple stories of ram-raids, including here in Pakuranga, with dairies, jewellery shops and pharmacies all being targeted by what appears to be higher-than-usual criminal activity in our community.
The eastern suburbs of Auckland have typically enjoyed relative peace and safety, with low rates of crime and a strong police presence to deter bad actors.
Over the last couple of years however, the rising crime rate has become visibly noticeable to those of us who live here, with many feeling like there isn’t enough being done to keep our streets safe.
The local police who serve our area do a fantastic job but it is becoming clear that they lack the numbers, resources, and support from on-high to effectively keep crime in check.
The reality is that Kiwis today do not feel as safe to go about their everyday lives as they did just a few years ago, and it’s important to state that I do not believe this is the fault of our hardworking and dedicated police.
Criminals aren’t stupid and they have watched closely the way that Labour has implemented a soft-on-crime approach to law and order policy since they were first elected in 2017.
Criminals can see that under this Government, crime is not taken seriously, with the Government’s sole justice policy being to reduce our prison population.
Something has to change. One of the key responsibilities of any government is to keep its citizens safe from those who would do them harm. Based on statistics and the experiences of those I speak with, far more needs to be done.
Simply put, the Government needs to make law and order a top priority, ensure police have the leadership and support to do their job of enforcing the law. The Government must stop being fixated on the prison population.
We also all have a role to play in reporting all criminal or suspicious activity we witness and keeping an eye out on our community. Reporting helps to ensure the police have the best possible information to work from, and supports them as they target where to put their limited resources.
