The coalition Government’s ongoing effort to try to restore law and order in New Zealand appears yet to have made a discernable impact.
When Botany MP Christopher Luxon was elected as Prime Minister last year one of his key messages to the public was the need to crack down on crime and make the country safer.
Crime rates had risen under the previous Labour Government, which the National Party, ACT Party and New Zealand First had all criticised as being “soft on crime”.
The new Government has implemented a range of measures on law and order in recent months, but news headlines still tell a concerning tale of violent crime being committed around the country on a regular basis.
Luxon recently told the Times his Government has immediately focused on getting tough on gangs, “which are driving so much of our violent crime”.
The police have introduced a new National Gang Unit and frontline teams to increase pressure on gangs while the Government has launched military-style boot camps to help serious young offenders stop breaking the law, Luxon says.
“We’ve very determined on that, so we can identify the most serious, recidivist young offenders and make very strong, powerful interventions in their lives.
“So they remove the pain and suffering on others but also we get those kids’ lives turned around and moving in the right direction.
“We’ve already stopped funding section 27 reports, which are the cultural reports which have been discounting a lot of sentences for crime.
“We’ve also passed the Three Strikes legislation and we’ve committed to 500 more police officers, so those things are important.”
Luxon says the Government is working on reducing the amount of power judges have to reduce sentences, which in some cases have seen violent offenders receive a 65 per cent discount on their sentence when they appear in court.
“And we’re going to spend $1.9 billion more on Corrections.
“That will enable an extra 810 beds at Waikeria Prison, it will enable 700 more Corrections officers, it will enable us to pay them better, and importantly also get rehabilitation services to prisoners as well.”
