Fifty new police will make no difference

The 50 extra police promised in the Budget for Auckland will make no difference to crime in New Zealand's biggest city, says National Police spokesman Tony Ryall.

"Greater Auckland is 120 police short," he says.

"The extra 50 officers will not even replace the number of officers leaving the force.

"This Budget offers no new thinking on fixing crime in Auckland or anywhere else, it's yet another lost opportunity.

"The fine print of the announcement is also worrying," says Mr Ryall.

"Police are budgeting on a 30% increase in speeding tickets issued by police officers*.

"National would prefer the same efforts went into preventing burglaries and violent assaults, rather than police meeting a Government defined quota with speed traps.

"Tonight Labour stands beside the corpse of another broken promise.

"The get tough approach to crime has been forfeited so the Government can continue to overtax hard-working New Zealanders," says Mr Ryall.

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