Quite rightly when we talk about crime, our focus should be on the victims mainly.
But spare a thought for the police as well, because they are clearly so frustrated by what’s happening.
I spoke to an officer today, completely unrelated to the crime stats.
He just wanted to get it off his chest how frustrated he is by Andrew Coster’s national headquarters stopping the front line officers from doing their jobs.
I'm not going to say where this officer works, so he doesn’t get in trouble, but he told me today that in the area he patrols there are a couple of what he calls scroties. Guys who keep getting in trouble, getting bail and then doing it again.
But this officer is getting really frustrated at Andrew Coster’s directive that they’re not allowed to chase these guys.
So this is what really made this officer upset. Recently, these crims were in a car, officer wanted to chase so they drove directly at him, because they know that means the chase will get called off under the rules.
And that’s what happened. Called off, officer then watched the crims drive at three other cars, still not allowed to chase, watched them drive at a truck- still not allowed to chase.
Couple of nights later, they’re out again. The police see them and spike the car. That means it was only a matter of time before the car ran out of puff and had to stop.
But then the police officers were told to stop the chase. They knew those guys would probably steal a car to get away, because they’d done that before.
Sure enough, one minute later- they pulled a woman from her car and in their car they left behind a firearm and a homemade sword.
These guys are really dangerous, but the police aren’t allowed to chase them.
This officer wants three things:
- To be allowed to chase bad guys.
- For judges to stop giving these bad guys bail and letting them out into the community to keep victimising people.
- And tougher sentences; if you run from police he reckons mandatory six months in the slammer.
Every police officer I’ve spoken to will tell you you’re seeing more crime because they aren’t allowed to chase criminals and because the courts aren’t punishing them hard enough.
So unfortunately, we probably have to get used to those crime numbers. Because unless Coster and the courts harden up, this is life in NZ.
Heather du Plessis-Allan is a journalist and commentator who hosts Newstalk ZB's Drive show.
5 comments:
One of the very few things I like about the US is that I can carry a loaded firearm there and use it if I get hassled. And guess what, the recidivism rate for bad guys who get plugged full of lead is zero.
Last week my akl office was broken into by thugs using a hammer to break in the glass. My reaction was that I wasn't even surprised. This sort of thing has become normalised. If police know who the crims are but are not allowed to do anything, then the main conclusion you draw is that crime is being encouraged by our govt. What on earth is hapoening? If the media ask that questiion, they just get the same old gaslit response of how crime is actually going down and nothing to see. Why are we alliowing this to happen?
this is the consequence of 'no consequences' - cheers!
This woke Govt has a woke police commissioner delivering woke justice, but don’t be fooled. If the Marxists sense an uprising by those that wish to reclaim stolen freedoms, look out. The brutality dished out on parliament grounds was reminiscent to police thuggery often seen in Eastern block countries.
Back in the Sixties, I had the privilege to work with a Magistrate (Judge) in Hamilton by the name of Stewart Hardy. He sat in courts throughout the Waikato from Huntly to Tokoroa. He was particularly hard, but very fair, on all offending in that area. It was well known by the locals that you did not offend in his area or the consequences could be dire. He treated all that came before him by his own very strict standards and imposed the same penalties on male or female, master or servant. I saw him on one occasion, when a prominent local solicitor suggested, when appearing for a local city counsellor who had contravened the Transport Act, that the gentleman's contribution to the city should be taken into account when setting penalty. Mr Hardy's response was that this man because of his position should have been much more aware of the possible outcome of his actions and acted accordingly. The penalty imposed was the same as that he had imposed with the other persons charged with the same offence, which included loss of licence for a period.
The proof of this Magistrate's action was seen when in the last 3 months of his life (a life cut tragically short) there were only 3 charges of Driving under the Influence filed in his court, compared to 13 filed in the 3 months following.
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