I’ve always had a natural suspicion of police crime statistics – not because I have any inside information or contrary evidence but because policing is political.
When crime stats are reported by police as going up is that a way for the police to pressure a government for more resources? When crime stats are reported as going down is this a response to pressure from a government to meet crime reduction targets?
The short answer to the second question is fat YES in the case of crime figures for Counties Manukau over recent years. And in this case the Minister of Justice and local MP Judith Collins is implicated up to her eyeballs.
Media reports confirmed by police show that five police officers – one a senior commander – were disciplined for rorting the crime figures in Counties Manukau in recent years. They did this apparently by wrongly classifying 700 crimes between 2009 and 2012 as either “incidents” – which aren’t recorded in crime statistics – or as crimes other than burglaries when they were burglaries.
This happened when their local MP – Justice Minister Judith Collins – was also the Minister of Police.
Collins was thrilled with the reduction of burglaries in her electorate and trumpeted this in her electorate newsletter – called Collins’ Courier – which boasted about a 36.7 per cent drop in recorded burglaries from 2009-10 to 2010-11.
It seems local Counties-Manukau police were trying to please their new boss and have her bask in the warm glow of the safer local community she was helping create for her constituents.
Where Collins is deeply implicated in this rort on the public is that she was told about the false figures but did nothing – precisely nothing – about it. She made no public comment; didn’t correct the figures for us mere mortals; didn’t apologise to her local constituents; didn’t seek a wider review to ensure other police districts weren’t also under-reporting burglaries.
Nothing. Collins did nothing. She was content to allow this misleading impression of crime in her local area to go unchallenged. She didn’t even pass this information on the incoming Minister of Police Anne Tolley.
She left us for suckers.
Collins has always had a nasty arrogance about her which she put on display during the attempts by media to get to the bottom of her dealing on behalf of Oravida. What came through then was her deep disrespect for the public and our right to know what she gets up to on our payroll.
She’s at it again.
And the untethered blimp could be our next Prime Minister . The sociopathic Stepford wife could care less for her people . She will instead regard us as fools deserving of disregard sinse we do nothing about her libertine behaviour . How about we show her how things are done around these here parts and remove her from her office today . Does anyone know a mob ? No ? Then that’s where we start . Build a mob , herd it to Parilament , vigously insist she goes , remove her pay and entitlements and conduct an inquiry . If she’s found guilty and of making a pucuniary advantage due to her corruption , we asset strip her too . Big Bennett and her could have a nice wee cuppa down at the WINZ office before collins takes up her new role as shitter cleaner in an office block . ( No disrespect to those who do clean shitters in office blocks x )
I suspect Judith Collins is one of those unfortunate individuals – who is now so used to lying – she is incapable of distinguishing true from false!
Leaving aside any reaction I have to the author, I have one question: why is Judith Collins ever still there? Under John Key’s “higher standards of ministerial behavior” one would have assumed that she would have been sacked over her involvement in milk, China, hubbys company etc. But no, she lives to corrupt and embarrass another day. Mayhap our beloved PM simply doesn’t have the power at the cabinet table. And where is he? Out of the country as usual when unpalatable news appears
But that’s not all. I live in Papakura along with starving and homeless street dwellers, people who aren’t going to be sharing in the ‘benefits’ of the $650m sports complex being built nearby. That’s the one that will probably be managed by a trust bearing the name of the man who supplies Oravidas milk, whose commercial business is engaged in and profiting from the construction. The same complex that shipped 50+ loads of Kauri logs northwards, wonder where they went? And Collins? Her office sits above a public toilet, nobody see’s her in her own electorate, just her picture when they use the lav. How ironic is that? Connect the dots anyone?
Are you referring to Bruce Pulman Park? A sports complex costing $650M is grossly excessive.
Agreed. A probable indication of Collins’s guilt is the aggression with which she defends herself when asked difficult questions. She did it with Oravida, and ended up having to apologise. She has started with the same manner this time round. I am looking forward to intense media scrutiny, but not very expectantly.
She didn’t ever apologise about Oravida – she merely apologised for being caught out and being put in the position where she was obliged to apologise!!
Although 700 burglaries reclassified as something else (simple misunderstanding apparently) is bad enough it’s the rest of the decline in the crime statistics that more concerning. Because it’s not as obvious how that Houdini trick was done!
But I’m guessing it goes along the lines the classic philosophical thought experiment of : “If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?”
National clearly thought that theory worked so well that they’ve adapted it to fit crime statistics:
“If a crime is committed and the police essentially do nothing will the public ever know?”
http://thestandard.org.nz/polity-judith-collins-on-crime/#comment-848880
and ……
http://thestandard.org.nz/polity-judith-collins-on-crime/#comment-848882
Btw, I’ve always believed the NZ Police’s worst enemy is one Gregory O’Connor, but the likes of Jude are busy trying to outdo him.
Is there anyone left in the Police who is concerned about the public’s trust in them, or are they so thick they think the bury/deny/obfuscate/suppress approach is a better option?
Truth must win!
Now the numbers make sense.
How else can a 36-46 % drop in crime in a neighbourhood be explained?
OWT:
“Is there anyone left in the Police who is concerned about the public’s trust in them”
Apparently not.
“or are they so thick they think the bury/deny/obfuscate/suppress approach is a better option?”
Well, it seems to be working so far. Just wait to hear how we are the enemy for even asking questions, that’s when we need to be more concerned.
“Well, it seems to be working so far.”
yes it does seem to be. The trouble is there’s always a tipping point and I think it’s near. The longer the delay, the greater the destruction, and the greater the shit that’s spattered over the decent amongst them – that’s the problem. I’m surprised it’s lasted this long, but then perfing and resignation is an easier option than pushing shit uphill
I’ve got ten bucks says that this is just the tip of the iceberg. Any takers?
Only ten?
Meanwhile, no one is talking about the continuing mental torture and human rights’ abuse of NZ’s half-a-million cannabis users. Just because it’s cloaked in legislation doesn’t make it right.
Spot on Sandy. Favorite police activity: steal cannabis from rightful owners, have a big smoke up back at the station, sell surplus to mates for extra cash. Better work stories!
One of the best quote’s I’ve read was posted in the standard link ‘once was tim’ linked to above …………
“mickysavage 19.1
15 July 2014 at 9:34 am
I had to laugh at Collins’ description of what had happened as an “isolated event”. It was an isolated event that occurred 700 times and involved five police officers …
I want to see her “head” roll!
She is one of the most manipulative operators in government, also very determined and powerful, she deserves to be taken out on this and other issues.
She may not lose her head literally, but symbolically, I recomment a good “oiling” of the guillotine for her head now, she has overstayed the patience of justice and the ones affected, yes disowned, by budget cuts to legal aid, to government offices supposed to keep a check on things and more.
A ruthless dictator in sheep’s clothing is the most favourable description for this specimen of a politician.
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