The Government is clamping down on retail crime by giving businesses more powers to detain those stealing from them, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith and Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee say.
“Retail crime increased 85 per cent between 2019 and 2023, including a 91 per cent increase in victimisations relating to theft,” Mr Goldsmith says.
An 85% increase in just four years!
“Currently, no one, including retailers and security guards, is protected from civil or criminal liability if they arrest and detain a person stealing goods valued at less than $1,000 during the day. The operation of the Crimes Act 1961 hinders people from stopping offending as it occurs right in front of them.
An unworkable law.
- Amending the Crimes Act so that citizens can intervene to stop any Crimes Act offence at any time of the day.
- Requiring that a person making an arrest contact Police and follow Police instructions.
- Clarifying that restraints can be used, when reasonable, when making an arrest.
- Changing the defence of property provisions to the Crimes Act so it is clear that reasonable force may be used.
Hopefully this law change will get support from all political parties.
David Farrar runs Curia Market Research, a specialist opinion polling and research agency, and the popular Kiwiblog where this article was sourced. He previously worked in the Parliament for eight years, serving two National Party Prime Ministers and three Opposition Leaders.
2 comments:
Here's a wee story: In Australia circa the mid 90's myself and another chap caught a car thief in the act. The other chap bravely dived into the car and took the skeleton keys the guy had from the ignition. and stood by the driver's door. I was on the other side. The thief decided he would attempt an escape via my side. Being ex-military, I did not touch him but shouted loudly that he should stay put. He complied but I'm sure he soiled himself. Another chap approached and looked like he wanted to get between me and the thief, I suspected he was an accomplice, so I simple barred his way and suggested that maybe he wanted to be arrested too. He fled. The Police arrived and carted the thief away. I said to the cop, guess you don't need me and he smiled and agreed, so I left. Later that night on the TV, I saw the same thief had been arrested driving the wrong way on the SE Freeway in SA. Yes, he had been bailed and reoffended that same day! Would I bother doing it again, go figure.
I had a Maori student with a lovely, generous , sweet nature who told me about his methods of shoplifting in a big supermarket.
He had very concerned ( but low decile) parents who sent him to Sunday school , got him a dog and involved him in community activities.
He came to me for tuition in the basics when he was 12 years old . He had spent seven years in a high decile school but they failed to teach him to read or do maths He was at least 3-4 years behind in achieving. He knew it was important to succeed but nothing the schools did worked. They encouraged him in Kapa Haka but he refused to participate stating what he wanted was to be able to read and do maths. Other children called him ' a retard ' and worse. He was not truant from school but in class he was never able to participate in many academic activities . Every day , month , year of his primary childhood he spent feeling stupid. The school engaged a psychologist who confirmed he was stupid by recording he had a low IQ. He lashed out at other children who ridiculed and teased him. He was labelled as violent and the police became involved. Despite that he had a sweet caring nature and liked helping others.
Eventually it was concluded he had dyslexia and hyperactivity and dysgraphia which is what a large number of prisoners have.
He was caught shoplifting some chocolate bars , taken because his mother' s healthy grated carrot and raisin sandwiches did not contain much sugar since she was attempting to control his hyperactivity with a low sugar diet with as well as ritalin. But he craved sugar.
At Secondary school the dyslexic course he was given was described by the parents as useless . Much of the course was on the structure of dyslexic brains and building up self-esteem. The taunting by other students never ceased. The precious years when he should have been remediated were wasted by being taught with educationally fashionable ideologically driven Whole Language instead of phonics reading instruction. I managed to raise his reading age with phonics a bit but he was too old and the hyperactivity made learning so much more difficult. This was because of inability to concentrate. To me he definitely had a well above average intelligence because of his advanced comprehension skills , I observed. He didn't even know his 2or 3 times tables either because schools don't teach them. Therefore his maths skills were never going to advance far.
Question here " how would you have turned out if you had spent most of your school years being treated as a retard and had your days in school being given the wrong instruction which made your achievement no better despite how hard you tried?
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