DESTINY NEW ZEALAND PARTY

PRESS STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

30 MARCH 2005

Destiny NZ Gives Police Policy Priority

Revelations of over a thousand unattended crimes in South Auckland comes as no surprise to ex South Auckland Emergency Response Sergeant and Destiny NZ leader, Richard Lewis.

"I know from my experience that our police are severely stretched to cope with the basic core functions of policing. When you have a backlog of serious sexual offences awaiting investigation you know there is a very serious problem. The Government is completely out of touch with the realities of policing in New Zealand", says Lewis.

Destiny New Zealand Law and Order policies give priority to (1) boosting police numbers by at least 1,300 to achieve parity with western nations police/public ratio's, (2) increasing frontline staffing and resources and (3) developing a comprehensive national strategy to combat organised crime, gang and drug offending.

"Government has to face the cold hard realities. Crime is increasing and getting much worse despite what the statistics purport. And it will continue to get worse until our Government gives Law and Order priority and equips the police accordingly," says Lewis. He noted that New Zealand currently has the worst officer to population ratio in seven Western nations.

ENDS

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