Simon Power
National Party Law & Order Spokesman

5 April 2006

Private detectives cash in on Labour’s failure

It is an appalling indictment on Labour’s failure to lower crime that two former detectives feel the need to set up a company to carry out examinations at burglary scenes, says National’s Law & Order spokesman, Simon Power.

“This is apparently an unprecedented move, and is clearly happening only because police are unable to respond to the high number of burglaries in Hamilton in good time, if at all.

“These two former detectives, who will do initial scene examinations, say they will work at the request of victims or insurance companies who are unhappy that police can't respond quickly enough.

“This is yet another example of Labour failing to live up to its promise to get on top of the burglary epidemic in this country.

“Remember their 1999 pledge to ‘crack down on burglary’? Six years later they are nowhere near to achieving it.

“Crime statistics out on Monday showed that the number of reported burglaries, rather than decreasing, actually rose last year.

“Even worse, only 16.2% of burglaries were resolved last year, a decline from 17.3% in 2004. And the resolution rate has hardly improved since 2000.

“In Waikato, burglaries increased by 20%, according to Acting Police Commissioner Steve Long.

“None of this takes into account the victims who are told by police to not bother reporting burglaries unless they need to do so for insurance purposes.

“This Government’s promises are not worth they paper they are written on.”

ENDS

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