“When confronted with specific evidence of how out of control crime is on Q+A this morning, all that Police Minister Ginny Anderson could come up with was excuse after excuse,” says ACT’s Police spokesperson Chris Baillie.

“When asked about the fact that retail crime has doubled under Labour, she said that is just due to an uptick in reporting from retailers.

“When asked about the fact that acts intending to cause injury are up 30 per cent under Labour, she again asserted that New Zealanders are just all of a sudden reporting crime that they previously wouldn’t have.

“When asked about gangs increasing in members by 268 between March in April, she said that was simply because of 501s entering the country – but then admitted she had no idea how many 501s have come into the country.

“When asked about how it is that serious criminal acts have increased so much yet there are close to 3,000 less criminals locked up, she said that it’s hard to make a correlation between the two.

“The Minister refuses to face facts. Crime is out of control and the Government isn’t doing enough to ensure New Zealanders’ safety.

“Labour came to office promising to scrap longer sentences for repeat violent and sexual offenders, reduce prison numbers by 30 per cent, and not build any more prisons. The results are playing out in Kiwi communities with tragic consequences but they have no idea how to fix the mess they have made.

“Dairy owners are scared at what might happen every day, families are afraid to leave their homes, and many businesses are having to hire private security just to open their doors.

“Police report that in the last year there have been six and half thousand more innocent people attacked, robbed and otherwise terrorised with impunity. There needs to be real change.

“No other party has released more policy to tackle crime than ACT. We would:

• Invest in more prison beds and youth justice facilities
• Restrict the use of electronic bail, while dropping the target for lower prison numbers
• Introduce Gang Injunction Orders
• Implement ankle bracelets for youth offenders
• Turn Inland Revenue on the gangs
• Introduce tools to crack down on gangs and illegal firearm use
• Electronically monitor spending for gang members on welfare
• Infringement notices for youth offenders, leading to instant, practical penalties instead of justice delayed
• Introduce Three Strikes for burglary, recognising it is a recidivist crime
• Introduce financial reparations made by the Crown, so victims don’t have to watch their attacker putting 65 cents a week in their account for 10 years
• Re-introduce Three Strikes
• Increasing police in line with the population
• Introduce a policy of no rehab, no parole
• Hold an Independent Review of the IPCA
• Make changes to the Arms Act.

“ACT will keep proposing positive solutions to ensure all New Zealanders feel safe and that we have real change.”

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