Ram Raids and Gang turf wars generate enormous headlines and clickbait sensationalism but if we look at the stats we see a very different reality of crime for the vast majority of Kiwis.
There were 886 ram-raids in 2022.
There were 57 murders in 2022.
Those are terrible crimes, of that there is no doubt, but in 2022 there were 175,573 domestic violence investigations with almost 50% of Māori women experiencing domestic violence in their lifetime.
Again, ram raids and murders are terrible crimes, but their numbers pale into insignificance when you look at domestic violence in New Zealand.
Our attention is captured by Gang violence and Ram Raids, but utterly missing when it comes to domestic violence.
That’s why Mark’s most recent National Gang Unit seems to be more PR spin than actually dealing with our core issues…
Police to establish national gang unit
Police will establish a national gang unit, supported by ‘district gang disruption teams’, to target crime, harm, and intimidation caused by patched members.
The national team will work with police districts across the country, drawing on joint operations to monitor gang funerals and other activity.
…We already had a Gang Intelligence Centre, and it was a joke…
Gang Intelligence Centre leadership concerns revealed in document release
New Zealand’s Gang Intelligence Centre has been blighted by poor leadership and has been struggling to reduce the harm caused by organised crime.
Multiple sources RNZ has talked to said the leadership of the Gang Intelligence Centre was “clueless”, and one person said it was run by a bunch of buffoons.
Leadership were said to have no understanding of the gang environment, which in turn meant the centre was failing to have an impact on the harm being caused by gangs.
…Hand on heart I don’t think National MPs could tell you what is the difference between the Mongrel Mob, Mongols, Head Hunters, Black Power or Comancheros and that’s deeply concerning because they all have completely different reasons for existence and attempting to tackle the most glaringly apparent elements of gangs with laws that breach human rights will only radicalize those communities.
The problem we have right now with gangs is the unprecedented forced deportation of the 501 criminal elements from Australia who have unleashed a tsunami of violent gang take overs because they are prepared to use a level of violence and sophistication far in advance of the domestic gangs.
I don’t think National care about the nuance and I don’t think domestic violence even enters into any of this.
The focus is on the appearance of Crime in the News and the fear it generates, I don’t think there is any real plan here to tackle crime other than building a new Mega Prison.
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Prison building & massive increases in crime rates will be the legacy of Mitchell, Luxon et al.
There is no understanding of the drivers of crime and therefore no means by which this could be reduced, minimised or eliminated.
I mean the task of the Gang ‘Intelligence’ Centre is just to build a big database of anyone who has ever had a beer with or is related to anyone in a gang, so it’s quite a lot of work really. I’m surprised that Tim Jago’s party isn’t just proposing to legalize just using the census returns of anyone who ticked the ‘Maori’ box to fill in the blanks.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/350285655/national-candidate-tops-parliament-undeclared-donations
And then this type of crime.
More evidence of why business people don’t necessarily make good politicians despite the idiotic rhetoric of Bob the first troll.
“unprecedented forced deportation of the 501 criminal elements from Australia”
Call it for what it is Victorian era, Convict Penal Transport.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penal_transportation
“While the prisoners may have been released once the sentences were served, they generally did not have the resources to return home”.
Except today legally they can never return home to their family.
El Salvador is a perfect example of how violent crime can be brought under control very quickly if there is sufficient popular support and political will to do it. Having low crime rates and the orderly society that goes with it just means not giving a shit about the rights-claims of violent criminals and other miscreants, which they relinquish themselves by the fact that they are violent criminals and miscreants. If you want the full suite of civil rights, then just don’t be an antisocial violent thug.
NR you could turn yourself into one of those location signs that point the way to different venues kms away – Antarctica so many kms; perfect and crimeless similar- everyone being fair encouraging and firm with decent behaviour – point to the nearest space module for your free visit to the stars (one way). The expression of your ideas is not radical as in way-out thinking, it’s nearly perfectly rigidly conservative. However that is very human, wishful thinking of everyone behaving to suit the thinker or the prevailing code enforced is normal, you will be glad to hear.
I think what Bukele has done in El Savador with his hard right approach to crime is very radical indeed, given how ineffectually limp-wristed liberal democratic approaches to crime have been and continue to be. Let’s face it, hard right illiberalism is now the only anti-Establishment position these days, given how Leftism is well-entrenched as political orthodoxy.
But isn’t this a kneejerk reaction? But then when authority is too loose and society is mangled then people riot. Then harsher methods are needed. But working to have a fair, civil society and getting there would be a crowning achievement of the 21st century.
But we won’t get near if we don’t get a chance to get started and I have a feeling of Germany in the 30’s and Greece going down. Yet we quote the ancient Greeks. We have to get people together who do more than recite the precepts and work to spread them.
I’m wondering if we could set up pockets, probably geographically linked, of partly-independent political entities. We might call them Shires! Sounds a bit dreamy but it’s time to dream, then snatch them and pin them on paper, and work out some simple systems and share trials and outcomes with other like groups.
Ever read Terry Pratchett’s Discworld? It’s good to go somewhere different in one’s mind light-heartedly – think of other approaches and see the good, bad and sometimes ridiculous in them as well as applying to our own.
Bukele and his mates picking winners – no thanks. Next you’ll be telling us Duterte’s crime squads were cleaning up the filth by murdering people. you and your vigilante’s can fuck off to a favela in Sao Paulo.
The cause is years of abuse by the state .And domestic violence is not restricted to MAori and gang members and just males .My son was assaulted by his ex wife and he is neither a gang member or a maori .Until we rid NZ of all forms of poverty we will always have this issue .Todays moves on housing by the government will create more domestic violence as more families are forced onto the street .The tax cuts should be cancelled and the top rates lifted instead and all under employed builders should be put to work building more social housing .
not the state gordon, although they are complicit – it’s the hegemony of capital. if you ain’t got it you have no value. you’re just a fucking plebe to be flotsam-ed around like a piece of garbage. working paycheck to paycheck and struggling for shelter and food. our society is as sick as the lowest wife beater who can’t control their rage because they have no control themselves. give people self-respect and control of their own lives and they will flourish. we all will. why do we all go and shop at a supermarket? because food is a commodity. why do e all pay exorbitant rent? because shelter is a commodity. we’re all just a bottom line on a spreadsheet – madness.
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