Burglary Victims Wait - And Wait, And Wait...

Wednesday 16 Jul 2003 Dr Muriel Newman Press Releases -- Crime & Justice

ACT New Zealand Police Spokesman Dr Muriel Newman today demanded to know how New Zealanders could feel safe in their homes when it can take more than 19 hours for under-staffed, under-resourced police to respond to a burglary callout.

"Answers to my written Parliamentary Questions show that police are so stretched that it can take hours for them to respond to burglary callouts - 19:36 hours in Counties/Manukau, 17:24 hours in Auckland, and10:48 hours in Wellington," Dr Newman said.

"This is completely unacceptable - especially in light of the fact that in most of our police districts, these response times have been steadily worsening over the past two years. In 2001 Bay of Plenty police took 5:14 hours to respond to a burglary callout, this has now increased by almost seven hours.

"These figures are an indictment of Police Minister George Hawkins' assurance that police are not under pressure. Police wanted 169 more officers in the latest Budget, but this soft-on-crime Government only gave them 50 - none of whom will start before January 2004.

"Now, with 35 officers heading to the Solomon Islands, these delays will increase. While ACT supports the Solomons deployment, the Minister must provide an assurance that law and order on the home front will be maintained. Local security is as important as global security - something the Minister and his Government seem to have forgotten," Dr Newman said.

ENDS

For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at act@parliament.govt.nz.

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