GUEST BLOG: Jackie Foster – SJA Political Policy Opinion Labour

HELPING YOUNG PEOPLE INTO BETTER FUTURES AND STOPPING RAM RAIDS. 

Under the current government youth crime has spiralled out of control, increasing by a massive 33% in the last three years. 

During the 2020 election cycle labour campaigned strongly on dealing with the concerning level of youth crime and three years down the track here we are in a far worse off situation. 

Kelvin Davis, Jacinda Ardern and many other labour MPs campaigned strongly in the last 2 elections on lowering crime and fixing corrections and Oranga Tamariki and look at the state of the criminal justice system now.

MORE PRACTICAL MEASURES TO PROTECT SMALL BUSINESSES FROM RETAIL CRIME

Retail Crime has sored under this labour government, giving a clear indication that their policies are not working. 

We have seen dairy owners violently attacked and sadly even killed, simply trying to earn an honest living. This government needs to face the reality that retailers are under siege, and things need to change now. 

Repeat offenders are now responsible for 36% of all reported retail crime incidents, supporting SJA’s position that rehabilitation is lacking so badly in our corrections system, leading us to petition parliament to at least try and make things better. 

DELIVERED NEW ZEALAND’S LARGEST EVER POLICE SERVICE

Labour has delivered more police than Aotearoa has ever seen, something that will always be needed, through an ever-growing population. 

Current police numbers based on the current population is an average of 1 officer for every 305,55 citizens.

MORE TOOLS TO TACKLE CRIME AND GANGS

Here’s the reality for Aotearoa. Under Labour there has been an over 50% increase in gang membership. 

In 2017, the police Gang List had 5050 people on it. Fast forward to the end of August 2022 and that had increased to 7835 – a huge increase. 

Of major concern is our youth joining or being recruited where 18 to 25-year-old member ship has risen from 514 to 898 which is another huge increase.

It is widely know that a lot of gang recruiting happens in our corrections facility, which again highlights SJA’s concern of the failing corrections system.

So let us now have a look at the overall picture. 

I really have to question where is the Corrections, Oranga Tamariki, and constructive Youth policy from labour? There are none. 

I speak of Corrections, Oranga Tamariki and Youth policy because these issues are the three main issues that will see a huge reduction in crime in Aotearoa. 

Corrections should be responsible for intervention and rehabilitation of offenders and clearly, they are failing. I have publicly stated on national television “How can corrections do their job if they do not have the tools to work with. Declining staff numbers, rising assaults on staff members, 3 people murdered in our Corrections facilities since labour took office. 

Oranga Tamariki staff under investigation for sexual violation of our youth in care, riots in youth detention centres and youth reoffending after being in youth care. 

None of these issues have been addressed in labours election policies.   

It is a sad day when our police are questioned, not trusted and accused of corrupt processes destroying peoples lives, Allan Hall to mention but one, but again what are our current government doing about it. 

The so-called police watch dog, the IPCA, being brought into question so many times, and the lack of independence of the IPCA if there is an investigation. 

It is not up to me to state who the government will be, but who ever it is needs to step the game up from what it currently is and get results instead of simply making policies that do not get implemented and or will never work.  

 

Jackie Foster, CEO, Social Justice Aotearoa