Christopher Luxon speaks on Hamilton visit. Video / Mike Scott
National leader Christopher Luxon is speaking to media on the ground in Hamilton West, 10 days before the electorate’s MP is decided.
Luxon said the Government’s police pursuit policy was raised 6 months ago and he claimed there hadn’t been a quick enough response. However, he did say he supported what was announced today by the Government.
Luxon claimed the National party had a “really great plan” on clamping down on re-offenders. He criticised what he considered the slow rollout of Labour’s plans to address crime.
He said business owners shouldn’t have to be taking matters into their own hands and fixing their stores on their own dime.
On the global shortages for security products, Luxon claimed the Government was making it up.
Luxon said he was in Hamilton a few days ago and was surprised by the turnout of those who were remembering the 34-year-old dairy worker who was killed in Auckland, saying that it meant Hamilton residents cared about crime and wanted it reduced.
The powers include a 12-month increase to the maximum driver licence disqualification period for a second offence of failing to stop or remain stopped - from 12 months to between 12 and 24 months.
An amendment will also be made to the Sentencing Act 2002 so a vehicle can be forfeited on a conviction for failing to stop for police, meaning offenders can have their vehicle permanently removed and not get any proceeds from the sale.
Finally, police will be enabled to impound a vehicle for 28 days if the owner fails, refuses or provides false or misleading information about the identity of a fleeing driver.
Also earlier this week, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern revealed $4 million of Government funding would be split between local councils in Auckland ($2m), Hamilton ($1m) and Bay of Plenty ($1m) to match council funding for local crime prevention measures such as street lighting, CCTV cameras and bollard-esque planter boxes.
Janak Patel, 34, was fatally stabbed while working at the Rose Cottage Superette in Sandringham last week. Photo / Supplied
It followed the death of 34-year-old dairy worker Janak Patel, who was fatally stabbed last week while he was managing the Rose Cottage Superette in Sandringham, Auckland.
The tragedy led to protests across the country from dairy workers who said they felt unsafe, particularly in areas including Auckland and Waikato which had experienced spikes in crime.
In response, the Government will also subsidise the purchase and installation of fog cannons to the tune of $4000 for any shop owner who feels vulnerable - regardless of whether they have been previous victims of crime - something which had limited the application of crime prevention methods in the past.
The $6m Retail Crime Prevention fund - designed to support businesses hit by ram raids - will be expanded to include those who had experienced aggravated robberies.
Luxon and the National Party have been highly critical of the Government’s approach to crime, calling for harsher consequences for offenders.
That sentiment featured prominently in National’s own crime policy, which suggested the country’s most prolific offenders aged 15 to 17 should be placed in military academies to act as a “circuit-breaker” to prevent re-offending.
