It’s not just the economy Labour is in la-la land about – after six years of being soft on crime, no one trusts Labour on law and order, National’s Police spokesperson Mark Mitchell says.

“This announcement today is simply not credible coming from a Labour Government that for six years has allowed a growing gang threat to massively increase and expose Kiwis to unprecedented levels of gang and gun violence.

“Here’s the reality for Kiwis under Labour – a 70 per cent increase in gang membership, violent crime up by a third, a 100 per cent increase in retail crime and people feeling less safe on our streets, in their businesses and in their homes.

“Our worldclass police officers are struggling to deal with a tsunami of violent and retail offending, overseen by a Government that has prioritised reducing the prison muster by 30 per cent and repealing our only tough sentencing laws.

“Labour’s soft-on-crime approach has put New Zealanders at risk, with a 41 per cent increase in victimisations and high retail crime that not only takes a toll on shop workers and businessowners, but has a significant economic cost too.

“It’s no wonder the Mongrel Mob is actively campaigning for Labour and against National across New Zealand. Turkeys don’t vote for an early Christmas.

“National is the party of law and order and we’ll get our country back on track by cracking down on crime. A National Government will implement a sweeping gang crackdown that will:

• Ban gang patches in public places
• Allow police to issue dispersal notices where gang members come together in public to intimidate, threaten, and sometimes assault members of the public
• Give police non-association powers to prevent gang members from communicating and planning criminal activity.
• Equip police with the warrantless search powers they need to take the guns out of the hands of violent armed gang members.
• Make membership of a gang an aggravating factor at sentencing.

“National will have more to say about law and order during the campaign.”

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