National policy to relax traffic policing and concentrate on 'serious' crime

WELLINGTON - National Party leader Don Brash today promised to shuffle police resources to increase the number of front-line officers dealing with serious crime if National wins this year's election.

But he has not promised an overall increase in police numbers, or a boost in police funding.

Instead National will amend the Government's contract with police to relax traffic policing requirements, with the aim of freeing up officers to investigate other crime.

"We would amend the Labour Government's heavy-handed traffic policing demands in their contract with police," Dr Brash said in a speech to National's lower North Island regional conference.

"Minor traffic ticketing should get a lower priority than serious violence and emergencies."

He said Labour had deliberately diverted resources into speeding rather than focusing on serious crime.

National - within two weeks of an election win - would meet the police commissioner to talk about what would be needed to improve community safety across New Zealand.

But Dr Brash said National would not be making an election promise of extra resources for police.

"We will not enter into an election-year auction."

National would also hold a summit after the election to re-evaluate the focus of road safety work -- from ticketing drivers regardless of circumstance, to placing more emphasis on driving to the conditions, seatbelts, drink driving and driver fatigue.

The speech sets the ground for National to campaign against Labour on the unpopular practise of police speed ticketing quotas, and public concern over police resources, at the same time steering it clear from charges that it is promising too much new spending.

National is already promising as yet unspecified general tax cuts, and spending more on new roads.

Speed ticketing critics view the practise as a revenue gathering exercise and a distraction from real police work.

The number of traffic tickets issued by police has almost tripled in five years, ACT MP Muriel Newman revealed yesterday.

Figures released to her by Police Minister George Hawkins show police-issued traffic tickets increased from 136,999 in 2000 to 395,913 in 2004.

The biggest increase was in tickets to drivers exceeding the speed limit by 11-15km, where 161,916 tickets were issued in 2004, compared with 3785 in 2000.

But Police Minister George Hawkins said the increase had saved lives.

"The two lowest road tolls in the last 40 years were recorded in 2002 and 2004."

Mr Hawkins said despite the level of traffic policing, crime had also fallen.

Overall, reported crime fell by over 8 per cent in 2004. Police resolution rates were also up.

He said officers on traffic duty also contributed to general policing.

Mr Hawkins has come under fire this year over several high-profile police failures.

Opposition parties claim the Government has not resourced police sufficiently.

But the Government says it has increased police funding by 20 per cent since 1999 and boosted police officers by about 7 per cent.

- NZPA