National promises safer homes for victims

File photo / NZ Herald

National wants to put $500,000 towards safer homes for victims of family violence or for those at risk of serious harm.

Police Minister Judith Collins announced the policy today is Gisborne in the first of two law and order announcements.

The money would come from the $50 offender levy, which has brought in almost $4 million since it was introduced last year.

The safer homes initiative would include strengthening doors from glass to solid doors, installing alarms and deadlocks and security lights, and having hand-held alarms that, when activated, alert police directly.

"Nobody has been hurt in one of those homes," Ms Collins said.

It would be rolled out to South Auckland first, and further afield as funding allowed.

National would also double the penalty for breaching protection orders to a $10,000 fine or a two-year prison term.

In 2010, 976 people were convicted of breaching a protection order; of these, 185 received a prison sentence.

National would also push through its reforms for taking evidence from child witnesses, so that all children under 12 would give evidence in one go by video or CCTV.