PRESS RELEASE

20 Mar 2017

Time to Stop Pussyfooting Around with Youth Crime!

What incentive is there for youth to not commit a crime? In New Zealand, there is next to none.

Our pre-occupation with “rights” with little reference to “responsibilities” along with our emancipation of authority has left us in a situation where some young people have realised that they can do whatever they like with little or no consequences.

The consequences of the crime must outweigh the benefits, but when you simply get dropped off home after committing a burglary, or simply bounced between FGC’s, the police and the courts there is no disincentive, so the crime continues.

You only need to take a look at Kaitaia last Friday night, where 6 children walked out of a liquor store with alcohol, and went partying. Later, a mob of approximately 20 youth attempted to break into the Mobil service station, causing damage to the glass doors. This is the 5th time the service station has been hit in 18 months.

‘Family events’ such as Christmas in the Park and Polyfest, are regular events for youth gangs to congregate and engage in displays of brutality and crime. Stabbings and vicious assaults occur with increasing regularity at parties and shopping centres. Joyrides against police are now filmed to increase status and show further mocking of and laughter at authorities.

Due to the recent push by police to engage a ‘catch and release’ type of style, youth know there is no consequence; indeed, there can be some benefits to being kept in a secure environment or under CYF accommodation, especially regarding taxpayer funded ‘pocket money’ and hundreds of dollars of quarterly clothing funds being given out.

Communities have had enough.

"We need to take a much tougher stance on youth crime. The Conservative Party believes that reoffending youth should be sent to military school for a minimum of one year. We also need to implement other forms of boot camps for troubled youth, in conjunction with MAC style camps. We need to come down hard on first time youth offenders, as a deterrent to committing future crime", says Conservative Party Leader, Leighton Baker.

“Youth offenders should be sentenced to an education, we need to stream off kinesthetic learners into practical education (trades) so that they are not bored and frustrated at school.

"Good parents discipline their children, and have loving, firm boundaries put in place. As a society, we need to do the same. If we don't, we are only enabling a life of crime and violence, as has been thus far.

“Our youth are our future, and it's time to stop pussyfooting around, take back control, and bring tough love to our youth. They need to know once and for all that there will actually be consequences for actions", concludes Mr Baker.

ENDS

© Scoop Media