Pansy Wong MP National Party Asian Relationships Spokesperson

15 January 2004

Inaction by stretched police no surprise to MP

A report that international students have been denied police assistance comes as no surprise to Pansy Wong MP, National's Asian Relationships spokesperson.

An Asian man who had been assaulted and robbed at Hillsborough beach, Auckland, claimed today that two police patrols showed little interest in his plight, and told him to go to hospital.

"This report confirms what National has been saying for months - Auckland police are stretched to the limit with staggering workloads and a Labour Government ethos that sees them deskbound over 50% of the time," she says.

"We constantly hear of police concerns that Asians don't report crime in New Zealand. My office receives many complaints about a lack of action when crime is reported. Victims are much more likely to report crime if they have confidence that their complaints will be acted on."

Mrs Wong says the Government must move to assure the public, as well as visitors, that they can have confidence to approach police.

"The only message being received is that police are under-resourced to the point that assistance is unlikely. With this kind of system, crime is the only victor."

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