‘P’ scourge casts ever-darkening shadow

National’s Law and Order spokesman, Tony Ryall, says the scourge of methamphetamine is casting a dark shadow across crime in New Zealand.

He is commenting after the 2004 crime statistics were released. They show that crimes for hard drugs – methamphetamine, Fantasy and Ecstacy – continue to spiral out of control.

“Drug crimes are escalating in all parts of the country,” he says.

They were up in Northland by 32%, North Shore-Waitakere 131%, Auckland 158%, Counties-Manukau 90%, Waikato 32%, Bay of Plenty 72%, Eastern 240%, Central 112%, Wellington 170%, Tasman 246%, Canterbury 56%, and Southern 187%.

“Where there are drugs there is violence,” Mr Ryall says. “At the hard end of violence, grievous and serious assaults continue to climb.

“New Zealand is still a more violent place than when Labour came to power. Overall violence is up 9% in the past four years – and the Minister of Police says New Zealand women are more worried about speeding than a home invasion.

“As we said last year, many people have given up reporting minor crimes because they think the police are too busy or too under-resourced to help with their car break-in or small burglary.

“George Hawkins can talk all he likes about having an impact, but why can’t people get a response when they dial 111?”

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