12. RON MARK (NZ First) Link to this
to the Minister of Police
Does she believe that police resources and practices to date are sufficient to deal with the rising level of violent crime in New Zealand?
Hon ANNETTE KING (Minister of Police) Link to this
Police advise me that resources and practices to date are sufficient, but, as the member knows, recruitment is currently under way for the additional third tranche of police officers, as agreed to in our agreement between New Zealand First and Labour. In the last 10 years there has been a 45 percent increase in appropriation, most of which has taken place in the time of this Government.
What is going wrong with police leadership, when, at a time when they have never been better resourced, with $500 million in extra funding, and 1,000 extra front-line police, front-line staff are being hindered in their ability to deal with violent offenders?
I believe that we have very good leadership in the New Zealand Police, from the top right down to our district levels. But it is a difficulty for the New Zealand Police, as it is for our community, to deal with violence in the community, because no one group is solely responsible. Sometimes we are inclined, in cases like the tragedies we have had, to point the finger at the police rather than at the scumbags who cause these crimes.
Chester BorrowsDoes the Minister agree with the Police Association President, Greg O’Connor, that “only 52 percent of the first two tranches of the Government’s promised 1,000 extra police have gone to the front line.”; if not, how does she explain why general duties staff are declining as a proportion of sworn officers, while the number of sworn staff in non-operational roles, such as those in Police National Headquarters, has increased?
No, I do not agree with the Police Association, and I have said so on a number of occasions. The Police Association does not believe that community constables are front-line officers. It does not believe that detectives who are catching the criminals that commit crimes are front-line officers. It does not believe that the positions like those in Youth Aid are front-line officers. I believe they are. They are seen by the public to be right in the front line of policing in New Zealand. In my view, to count only those who are considered in general duties and in I-cars as front line is not the right way to look at our New Zealand Police.
How concerned is the Minister that whenever a serious crime is reported in this country, instead of the offenders being on trial the police face a trial by do-gooders and media; and does she think that the police leadership is contributing to this worrying situation?
I agree with the member that too often when there is a violent crime in New Zealand the first thing that happens is that the finger is pointed at the police rather than at the perpetrator of the crime. That does concern me. However, I do not believe that it does any good to point the finger at the leadership of the police, either. I think we need to ask media people, for example, what role they play in terms of the reporting of violent crime, when their first response is to ask what the police have done about it rather than to look at some of the other issues that contribute to violent crime.
Is not one glaring example of the lack of decisiveness in leadership within the police their inability to make a timely decision on the general issue of the Taser; and will the Minister show some leadership and demand that a decision be made public this week?
A decision on the Taser will be made very soon. I will not demand that it be made this week. I can tell the member that the decision will be made very soon. The commissioner has taken the time to look very carefully at the deployment of another tactical option, and when he makes his decision it will be based on the best advice he could have received, bearing in mind that this is a major change in terms of tactical weapons in New Zealand.