$46.9m to reduce burglary and youth offending

Budget 2017 will provide an extra $46.9 million of operating funding over the next four years for new services to reduce burglary and youth offending, Justice Minister Amy Adams and Associate Justice Minister Mark Mitchell say.

The funding is part of the Government’s Social Investment Package of $321 million over four years in Budget 2017.

“A new initiative to boost our Government’s efforts to prevent and reduce the number of burglaries will receive $32.9 million,” Ms Adams says.

“We want to reduce the risk of hardworking New Zealanders being burgled. The initiative will target burglars under the age of 25, because this group has a high risk of committing more crime long-term, with a predicted 15,300 more burglaries and other offences over the next 30 years.

“The main focus of the initiative is on reducing the motivation to commit burglary and increasing the availability of reintegration services to better transition offenders from prison back into the community.

“The initiative will also provide support to reduce the risk of a burglary victim being repeatedly targeted by installing additional security such as window locks, security lights or bolt locks,” Ms Adams says.

Mr Mitchell says the $13.9 million over the next four years will help to further reduce youth offending by providing professional youth mentoring, cognitive behavioural therapy and functional family therapy.

“Everyone should be safe in their homes and businesses, and we’re focused on investing in what works to ensure this is the case,” Mr Mitchell says.

“Serious youth offenders are most likely to go on to live a life of crime, so addressing the problems while offenders are young means our communities will be safer now and in the long term.”

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