Yellow Triangle Prevention Project

Media Release June 27, 2000

PROJECT LAUNCHES PETITION TO ABOLISH UNDER 25 SCHEME

The Yellow Triangle Prevention Project has launched a parliamentary petition requesting that the House of Representatives immediately abolish the New Zealand Police's controversial Under 25 Scheme. The project is a coalition of groups and individuals opposed to the scheme. The petition has been launched because of the Under 25 Scheme spreading across New Zealand before the Human Rights Commission has made a decision about the potential Human Rights abuses.

The project believes that the scheme should be abolished because it negatively stereotypes all young people as car thieves, increases insurance rates for people under 25, increases and redirects car theft towards people under 25, and sets a dangerous precedent for future discrimination.

Yani Johanson, Project Coordinator said today:

"This petition allows young people throughout New Zealand to send a strong message to the House of Representatives that youth discrimination is unacceptable. It is deeply disturbing that the Minister of Police sees nothing wrong with a scheme that causes young people to be increased victims of car theft. Because of his failure to show any concern for the negative impact on young people from the Under 25 Scheme, the project is launching this petition. I urge young people to sign the petition to stop the Under 25 Scheme spreading throughout New Zealand.

"It is also important to note that the success of the scheme is laughable- the police have admitted no formal evaluation and yet claim it has been responsible for a 30% decrease in car theft. There is no evidence to suggest that the scheme has worked in Christchurch - the police do not even keep records of the number of cars stopped with the stickers on. Sadly, this has not stopped the scheme from being spread to Dunedin, Central Otago, Hamilton and possibly Auckland. Hopefully this petition will help to stop the scheme in its tracks.. Copies of the petition are available from stop_yellow_triangles@hotmail.com."

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