Ummmm, is there something missing from Jacinda Ardern’s press release on crime?

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I love Jacinda, I do. It can’t be easy being a spokesperson for Police when NZers are so spinelessly agreeable to anything the cops do or say, but is this really all Jacinda has to say about the latest crime stats?

Crime stats not all they’re cracked up to
New crime statistics out today which show an increase in the number of sexual assaults, murders and property-based crime should concern all New Zealanders, Labour’s Police spokesperson Jacinda Ardern says.

“Sexual assault rates have jumped by 10 per cent and homicide and related offences are up 18 per cent.

“These are serious crimes and they have a huge impact on New Zealand society.

“While Ms Tolley may argue higher reporting rates account for the higher numbers of sexual assaults, resolution rates are falling, dropping from 53.8 per cent in 2012 to 51.8 per cent in 2013.

“The figures also show more homes are being burgled and more cars stolen.

“These might be considered ‘petty’ crimes, but they generally leave victims feeling scared and helpless

“Police are doing a great job, but they are being forced to do more with less, making it harder for them to focus on prevention first.”

…hmmm. Now while Jacinda can’t claim the crime stats are obviously cooked and Police have moved things around so that their political masters can calm the fears of middle class volk in NZ who drive the harder tougher sentences crap, one would have thought would one not, that Jacinda could have given a whole lot more punch here?

Some notes for Jacinda’s press officer…

-It shows an unacceptable lack of attention to sexual crime in this nation. After the failure by the Police to move on the roast buster rape club, which contained the son of a Police Officer, Police have still failed to make any traction on sexual crimes. By the way – how on earth has no one been prosecuted in that case, and will the NZ Police continue to lie about women coming forward to make formal complaints, and while we are at it, have all of margaret Bazely’s recommendations into the NZ Police sadomasochistic rape culture of the 1980s been totally implemented yet?

-It shows NZ Police still have much work to do in securing the appropriate counter balances. With the failed Teina Pora case where Police bullied a confession out of an immature young man, to the case last year where Police bullied into a suicide a cannabis activist, NZers need to trust that Police are using their powers within the standards expected of a 21st century democracy. I am concerned with the recent expansion of spying powers that the Police may well be breaching the rules but with so little oversight, and that’s why we need a truly independent police complaints authority resourced well enough to carry out all investigations.

In light of a recent death in custody which the Police are still covering up and attempting to conceal, NZers need to know that people being arrested aren’t going to be beaten and die within Police custody. The family of Sentry Taitoko are still waiting to understand how their loved one died at the hands of the NZ Police. While the crime stats show hard work, the NZ Police must always be held accountable for the deaths of citizens while those citizens are in their authority. Disorderly conduct can not end in death in a Police holding cell, we expect more transparency and more honesty for the communities of Manurewa and for NZ.

…with so many valid concerns of the NZ Police force, from a new top cop who sings the praises of a corrupt cop who planted evidence to letting the pumped up alpha male goons of the NZ Police force loose on having hand guns, there is much to be critical of. Their obnoxious and sexist handling of the roast buster case demands far more in an election year than “Police are doing a great job, but they are being forced to do more with less, making it harder for them to focus on prevention first.”.

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Surely?

14 COMMENTS

  1. Jacinda Dear has changed a bit over the last few months, I noticed. She seems to be even more mainstream minded than before, and she now seems to tow the line and tries to please the “middle class” voters.

    She was already somewhat disappointing on welfare, apart from the odd speech and press release, but much seemed a bit “staged” or half hearted, what came from her.

    So with crime stats being down, apart from sexual abuse and a few other offences, and apart from some regions going against the trend, I suspect that Jacinda is not wanting to create ripples where she may think it is “not worth it”.

    Perhaps she fears the silent majority will think, ah, here we go again, should she make the increase in sexual offences an election issue. The police themselves simply say, it is the result of increased reporting, and not much else.

    I do personally question the low figures, and knowing the police just love to white wash stuff, I believe the truth is not as charming.

    But Jacinda may be more pre-occupied with her social profiling, and planning her next appearance on that oh so popular “Paul Henry Show”?

    I hope she does not, but who knows, she has changed, and become more “aligned” with the rest in the Labour caucus.

  2. I think this is typical of Jacinda Adern. Lovely smile and, on a personal level, everyone who knows her says she’s great, but I have yet to see any justification for her high ranking in cabinet. She hardly ever puts out press releases and when she does they say very little. The baby bonus card and press handouts were signed off by Jacinda. How come she didn’t notice the discrepancies? Why did Cunliffe get the all the blame? In my opinion Jacinda needs to work a whole lot harder and spend a bit of time in the poorer suburbs of Auckland to see what is really happening in this country. Of course this also applies to a several other members of caucus.

  3. If this is the only achievement that he Nats can give after 5 years in power, that’s an epic fail! Anyway, from what I’ve read elsewhere, crime has been trendng DOWN from the mid 1990s, so can they eally claim credit for this? Yeah, nah.

    • Interesting that crime has been trending downward at the same time as inequality has been increasing.

      • It’s a data manipulation – like the ‘rockstar economy’ and English’s claims – despite the worst recorded performance in New Zealand history- of economic adequacy.

        Serious crime is up. Recording of minor offences is down.

        Just more Gnat dishonesty.

        • The police don’t worry about all crimes. They prioritise, and the depth of their stats is limited. Some crimes they just don’t bother about. Crime gone down? There are several ‘buts’ in there somewhere.
          All the ‘NACT ‘good’ news’ coming out now. I wonder what next; No child living in poverty? Everyone well housed, well educated and living the dream – that good news and massage of the stats is yet to hit the headlines. I’m sure they’ll come in time, and the gullible will believe.
          There may be some things missing from Jacinda Ardern’s press release but there’s also something missing in action about Jacinda Ardern.

      • Interesting that crime has been trending downward at the same time as inequality has been increasing.

        Crime stats took a sharp and sustained dive from 2009. It’s possible that there was some powerful crime-reducing factor that suddenly began operating in society in 2009 and has continued since. It’s also possible that someone made a conscious decision in 2009 to juke the stats and has been doing so since. Which do you consider more likely?

      • Gosman, Crime has gone down whilst access to safe abortion has gone up. I see your now supporting a women’s right to her own body now Gosman good for you.

        Another point, and I agree with Stuart Munro – a lot of crime is not reported. Why? Because if you live in West Auckland you have to wait 30 min for a cop to come. They probably off chasing after window cleaners or playing ping -pong (oh wait that Avondale – is that west???)

        The other, and the one I deal with regularly (generally advising people to move when the end up living next to one of these places) – is that the cops are avoiding the drug houses and people are seeing that. Shit a 20 miniute drive around New Lynn and I can point out at least 10 places you can buy drugs. So people have lost a lot of trust in the police.

        Contrary to what Boomer wrote above, for working people the reality is when the cops turn up- the question becomes. “Are you a cop or are you a criminal”?

  4. Jacinda Ardern is spectacularly useless. On the occasions when she peeks out from beneath Mallard’s wing, about all we get are some nervous giggles. She would make a great Tory minister of police, because she won’t ever dare criticise them. For a Tory, this would be an advance over encouraging them to go further in their law breaking. For Labour, it should be completely unacceptable.

    A “left” government would do well to forget her altogether, and have Hone Harawira or Annette Sykes as Minister of Police.

    • Come now, under Labour police officers received more money more regularly, the fleet was continuously upgraded and more stations replaced, more operating budget, more equipment, more support staff. In short a lot more money for policing.

      National started well staffing Counties Manukau district correctly (albeit and sadly temporarily) and this had a huge positive effect on the people of that area who were for the first time policed properly. And sensible changes to court processes and legal aid were also excellent.

      But things went too far, laws changed in knee jerk reaction to what was in court and the media at the time, legal aid reduced to low quality. But worst of all were the cuts to budgets or “voluntary savings” to the police which have taken all that back and more. Long term is a worry.

      And now we have to deal with Nationals Psychoactive Substances legislation, the sop to synthetic drugs, real nasties that are playing havoc in the community. What ever happened to getting tough on crime, was it simply to legalise it away instead? It certainly looks it.

      • XRAY –

        “Come now, under Labour police officers received more money more regularly, the fleet was continuously upgraded and more stations replaced, more operating budget, more equipment, more support staff. In short a lot more money for policing.”

        Well, was that perhaps, because of Winston Peters propping up the former last Labour governments, and he and his party expecting some funding to be put into police front line services?

  5. The Labour response to upgrading pepper spray virulence was also disappointing. Introduced as an ostensible alternative solution for armed offenders, pepper spray and tasers are readily adapted to punish, and their abuse is invariably when that is what they have been used for. Routine use of them brutalises both police and offenders – good police work would be marked by reductions in the use of punitive technologies like these. Instead they are surging, and Labour is mute.

  6. I have always found Ms Ardern to be utterly ineffective as a communicator. She lacks authenticity and credibility she has no fire in her belly and needs to work a damn sight harder. Like most kiwis under the age of 50 she has zero knowledge of new Zealand’s political history and is far too accepting of the neo liberal creed. In short I think she is gutless overpaid waste of space.

  7. Other points to add: No stats on monetary fraud. While Tax cheating and investment fraud is bigger than ever, the sentences are smacks with wet hankies, community “service”, and/or home detention–if anything at all. Lives are ruined by such criminal behaviour too.
    Then there is the wastage of time and money on pursuit of cannabis, whilst “legal highs” become poisonous.
    Sexual assault must surely be ranked in with serious crime and it’s separation into another stat just proves the headline to be a lie. Overall, no bulk crime is being reduced!
    I want to see more of the fury I feel about this.

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