ACT Party leader David Seymour reveals punishments would include fines as well as community service such as picking up litter, cleaning graffiti or volunteering at a community group. Video / NZ Herald
Retailers would have some power to decide what punishment young shoplifters receive, according to the Act Party's new plan to address crime.
Leader David Seymour is unveiling his party's new law and order policy in Auckland today as reported crime victimisation rates hit a record high of more than 30,000 in May in the city.
Chief in the party's plan is to allow crime-hit retailers to help establish the threshold and level of consequence imposed on shoplifters in an effort to curb young people escalating their criminal behaviour.
In May, Police Commissioner Andrew Coster stated most of the offenders carrying out ram raids that tormented Auckland businesses were younger than 15.
"I spent years working with young offenders and I know that shoplifting is how a lot of criminals start a spiral in worse offending," former Youth Aid police officer and ACT police spokesperson Chris Baillie said.
"You won't find many ram raiders who didn't start smaller."
Under Act's policy, infringement notice offences would be introduced for shoplifters that would include a "combination of penalties to reflect compensation for losses".
Punishments would include fines as well as community service such as picking up litter, cleaning graffiti or volunteering at a community group.
Act Party leader David Seymour is revealing his law and order policy in Auckland. Photo / NZME
According to the policy, Act would work with retailers to decide the appropriate threshold for fines and their size, alongside other measures to hold offenders accountable.
"Kids need to learn that there are consequences to their actions - the faster that lesson can be learnt, the less likely they are to re-offend," Baille said.
Also in the party's law and order policy was Act's long-standing commitment to the contentious three-strikes law, an Act creation from 2010 that was repealed by the Government last week.
The law meant people convicted of a third serious violent, sex or drug offence should get the maximum available sentence without parole, unless it would be "manifestly unjust".
The law was in place for eight years before a Whanganui stabber received the maximum penalty. All judges in earlier cases nationwide said maximum terms would be manifestly unjust.
Labour first attempted to repeal the law in its first term but was blocked by NZ First.
Act Justice spokeswoman Nicole McKee said the party would not only re-instate three strikes, but add a new three strikes law for burglary offences.
The Herald has previously reported how young ram raiders had turned to committing smash and grab burglaries or robberies, commonly on jewellery stores.
Stolen goods following a burglary of Liquorland Albany in Auckland in June. Photo / Hayden Woodward
People who committed three burglary offences would face a minimum three-year prison sentence with no parole, under the policy.
"Act's policy will make sure criminals pay the price for violating [people's sense of safety] and make offenders think twice before committing crimes," McKee said.
• Giving the Crown the responsibility of paying crime victim reparations and recovering costs from offenders
• Using Inland Revenue's powers to investigate gang members' income and tax paid
A recent Herald on Sunday analysis of police data found monthly victimisations hit 30,098 in May this year, compared to 23,559 in May 2019 and 22,435 in May 2018. In July 2014, the earliest month for which victimisation data is available, the figure was 20,544.
"Victimisation" in police parlance means reported crime for which there is a direct victim, so illicit drug offences are not included.
The victimisation numbers are generally regarded as not a good gauge of actual overall crime, largely because most offences go unreported.
The Ministry of Justice's New Zealand Crime and Victims Survey (NZCVS), which has been conducted four times in recent years, canvassed 6244 people in 2021 and again found only 25 per cent of all crime is reported to police.
Police deployment and road policing assistant commissioner Bruce O'Brien said population growth from 4.5 million in 2014 to 5.1 million today was part of the reason for the rise in victimisations.
However, the population increase of 13 per cent is far below the 50 per cent increase in victimisations recorded by police over the past seven years.
O'Brien said another part of the increase was down to the fact it was now easier to report crime.
