Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More
Parliament

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | Video | Questions Of the Day | Search

 

Blue Line Among World's Thinnest

Blue Line Among World's Thinnest

Thursday 24 Apr 2003 Dr Muriel Newman Press Releases -- Crime & Justice

ACT New Zealand Police Spokesman Dr Muriel Newman today demanded a response from Police Minister George Hawkins in light of new information showing that the numbers of police in New Zealand are among the lowest in the developed world.

"At 18.2 police officers per 10,000 of population, New Zealand has one of the lowest rates of police in the developed world - in comparison, Australia has 22.4, the UK 24.3, and the US 28.3. Effectively, that means to catch up with Australia, we would need another 1,700 sworn officers, 2,500 to match the UK and 4,000 to match the US," Dr Newman said.

"With so few police, under so much pressure, it is little wonder that organised crime in New Zealand is rapidly outpacing the police's ability to fight it. Criminals are becoming increasingly organised and daring, and are netting bigger and bigger hauls - as shown by last month's theft of enough pseudoephedrine tablets to make up to $1 million worth of methamphetamine.

"The hugely worrying aspect of this crime is that the full effects will not be seen for some time - methamphetamine has been linked to a number of horrendous violent crimes and, with this theft, more of the drug is sure to cause mayhem on the streets.

"It is time the Minister - and his soft-on-crime Government -treated police, law and order as a priority. Police are short-staffed and under resourced. With the Budget to be released next month, I demand that the Minister tells the public how he will ensure police are able to do their job effectively - something this soft-on-crime Government is failing to do," Dr Newman said.

ENDS

For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at act@parliament.govt.nz.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines


Gordon Campbell: On The US Opposition To Mortgage Interest Deductibility For Landlords


Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don't think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of political capital by giving landlords a huge $2.9 billion tax break via interest deductibility, while still preaching the need for austerity to the disabled, and to everyone else...
More


 
 

Government: Concerns Conveyed To China Over Cyber Activity
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity... More

ALSO:


Government: GDP Decline Reinforces Government’s Fiscal Plan

Declining GDP for the December quarter reinforces the importance of restoring fiscal discipline to public spending and driving more economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says... More

ALSO:


Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.