Victimisations are down but retail crime is up a year after Mark Mitchell took over as Police Minister.
Mitchell was speaking to media after completing a walkabout with Wellington police this afternoon, less than 24 hours out from thousands of protesters arriving for a hīkoi on Parliament’s lawns tomorrow.
Mitchell said last year he would resign if New Zealanders didn’t see change in public safety within 12 months of his appointment.
Today he unveiled new crime figures which he said showed a “positive trend”.
He also told gang members to “enjoy wearing the patch” for the next few days before a ban on wearing patches in public places comes into force on Thursday.
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Mitchell will also face questions about the impending enforcement of the gang patch ban, which will be actioned by police from Thursday alongside other stronger powers intended to target gang members.
It’s estimated as many as 30,000 people could gather at Parliament by midday tomorrow as a nationwide hīkoi reaches its final destination.
For several days, thousands of people have travelled from the country’s southern and northernmost points in protest action designed to highlight the value of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
It was also in response to the Government’s Treaty Principles Bill that proposed to redefine the Treaty’s principles.
The bill, an Act Party creation which passed its first reading last week, has faced widespread opposition from many Māori organisations as well as Opposition and Government MPs.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, who agreed to support the bill to first reading, argued the bill was too simplistic and didn’t recognise the nuance needed when addressing constitutional matters.
In police’s latest update today, it warned of “heavier-than-usual” traffic in Porirua as hīkoi participants held an event at Ngāti Toa Domain.
It also referenced a group travelling from Masterton this morning, which was expected to arrive in Greytown this afternoon.
“Police are asking motorists travelling around the wider Wellington region to plan ahead as delays are expected, and take extra caution on the roads today,” the update read.
Tomorrow, the hīkoi convoy was expected to travel from Takapūwāhia Marae to Waitangi Park in Te Aro before proceeding to Parliament grounds from 9am along Courtenay Place, Manners St, Willis St and Lambton Quay.
The Herald today reported a gang source that indicated members of several gangs could be in the hīkoi’s number tomorrow and were reportedly considering their own protest of the upcoming patch ban.
The public patch ban was one of several new powers becoming available to police from Thursday, including issuing dispersal notices to break up public gang gatherings and non-consorting orders to prevent gang members from communicating.
Adam Pearse is a political reporter in the NZ Herald Press Gallery team, based at Parliament. He has worked for NZME since 2018, covering sport and health for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei before moving to the NZ Herald in Auckland, covering Covid-19 and crime.
