- By Naisi Chen, Labour List MP based in Botany
Last week the Government announced it had delivered on its commitment to put an extra 1800 cops on the front line, including an extra 407 across Auckland.
With the graduation of Police Wing 366 from the Royal New Zealand Police College, every policing district in New Zealand is better-resourced than they were five-and-half years ago.
In the nine years between June 2008 and June 2017, the total number of police in Auckland increased by only 6.81 per cent.
In the six years under the current government, they’re up 16 per cent.
This means there is now one officer for every 480 New Zealanders, compared with one for every 545 New Zealanders in 2017.
I’m proud to be part of a Labour Government that is committed to properly resourcing our police and supporting them in tackling crime, including retail, youth and violent crime.
It was also pleasing to see there was a 157 per cent increase in Asian officers. We know the police are most effective when they reflect the community they serve.
I also want to share our recent policy announcement on vaping.
Like the many parents who have contacted me over the last few years, I have been concerned by the increasing number of vaping stores opening near our schools.
The numerous outlets at the Botany Town Centre are particularly egregious. Surveys have shown the prevalence of vaping is reaching alarming levels among our young people.
When one-in-10 high school students vape daily, we have a public health crisis that demands action.
The Government introduced vaping regulations in 2021 and last week we announced a further crackdown.
We will implement proximity restrictions for all new specialist vape retailers, for instance, that they are not near schools and sports grounds.
Second, vaping flavour names could be restricted to reduce the attraction of vaping products to young people.
There is no need to have ‘cotton candy’ or ‘gummy bears’-flavoured vapes when their purpose is to help people reduce or quit smoking.
Finally, we will restrict single-use vaping products, which are cheaper and more easily accessible.
This means all vaping products for sale would need to have removable or replaceable batteries, child safety mechanisms and substance container labelling.
These are crucial steps to keep our young people safe and healthy.
