Simon Power
National Party Law & Order Spokesman

21 November 2005

Labour lets dangerous 111 situation drag on

National’s Law & Order spokesman, Simon Power, says it is imperative the Clark/Peters Government acts urgently to restore public confidence in the police by bolstering resources.

He is commenting on official figures that show police are taking longer to respond to priority one emergency calls than they were before last year’s review of the call system.

“This an indictment on Helen Clark’s Government. They have paid lip service to police resources for six years and now that is coming back to bite them,” says Mr Power.

“In the wake of the 111 review they said they would recruit more staff, but clearly that has not been enough. Demand has increased but again this Labour Government has allowed staff resources to fall behind need.

“The longer response times accentuate the need for more police – not only in the 111 call centres but also on the frontline.

“We need a bigger police presence on our streets to nip crime in the bud before there is any need to call 111.

“Police Minister Annette King must tell the public why the 111 system has got out of control six months after her Government said it was being fixed.

“And she must explain what she is doing about getting more resources. The department’s briefing papers to her on Friday said more police are needed right across the board and it would be nice if she responded to that call,” says Mr Power.

ENDS

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