4 FEBRUARY 2016

West Coast Towns Paying Price for Police Underfunding

Pulling police from West Coast towns is a direct result of the government’s frozen police budget, says New Zealand First Police Spokesperson Ron Mark.

“Sole-charge police are being lost from Ross and Karamea in a move the police are selling as centralisation in Greymouth with a focus on prevention.

“No amount of talk about new strategies will convince anyone this is anything other than a desperate move as police struggle with work overload and underfunding.

“The simple fact is that West Coast towns are paying the price of the government’s failure to address the economic downturn which has led to a rapid rise in drug problems.

“Police frontlines have been stretched – the answer is more police. West Coasters have every right to be outraged by these cuts.

“Instead, without government support and funding, police have had to find another answer. It means pulling police, community and youth aid police from towns for a centralised unit in Greymouth and more highway patrols.

“A police presence deters crime and gives the community confidence about their safety. In the West Coast in particular, travel times between towns are lengthy, given the windy roads and hilly terrain. West Coasters will be denied a prompt response to incidents.

“It’s time to reinforce the police frontline. New Zealand First brought in an extra 1,000 police in 2005-08 and will continue to push for more police on our frontline,” says Mr Mark.

ENDS

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