Stuart Nash

MP for Napier

MEDIA STATEMENT

1 September 2016

Police strategy not working

The latest crime statistics highlight that the current strategy being pursued by Police isn't working and now needs an operational and strategic rethink, Labour's Police spokesman Stuart Nash says.

"Police have been pursuing a 'Prevention First' model under a 'Policing Excellence' framework. While this sounds fantastic and reads well, the results show that it isn't working as crime figures continue to rise and victimisations increase.

"In the Police 'Four Year Plan 2016-2020' strategy document, the Commissioner himself stated that his number one priority is that 'everyone has the right to be safe and feel safe... that police remain absolutely committed to deliver on this intent'. As evidenced by recent press from the Chinese community, and the wider New Zealand public, this simply isn't being delivered.

"The Commissioner must stop trying to please his political masters and start speaking up for the men and women he leads, and the communities he is charged with protecting. As late as Tuesday this week, he was reported in the media as saying that he didn't need more staff, when it has become very obvious he does.

"Police Minister Judith Collins is now under pressure. She has finally admitted she got it wrong in May when she signed off on the Police Four Year plan that stated there would be no increase in officer numbers until at least 2020 and 'Police's strategic direction will require police to continue looking for opportunities to re-balance the workforce'.

“The Minister and the Commissioner should be standing side-by-side and announcing a significant increase in the police budget to return police numbers to at least the ratio there were when National took office," Stuart Nash says.

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