After recording significant rises over the past five years, crime in the region is finally on the decline, with crime in our district dropping by about nine per cent in the last three months of 2009.
Until the National-led Government addressed the problem and boosted police numbers, resources and powers, the past five years had recorded a 16.7 per cent crime increase in Counties Manukau against the national backdrop of 0.7 per cent.
It is encouraging to see our initiatives are working and we are committed to further reducing crime.
By the end of this year, we will boost the region’s police force by 140 more officers – making a total of 300 new officers in our region.
More police and the apprehension of criminals need to be backed up by a penalty that would act as a deterrent to further offences and take into account of victim rights.
The Government has passed a number of pieces of legislation that ensure the offenders of worst violent crimes are dealt with harshly, and that allow our police and courts to act in the interest of the victim.
The latest addition is to incorporate a “three strikes” policy, which will see offenders being handed down maximum jail terms without the possibility of parole when they appear before the courts on their third violence-related offence.
This law change is part of our coalition agreement with the ACT party and it will ensure violent offenders are kept behind bars where they belong.
I was pleased to note that Manukau councillor Dick Quax publicly supported the new law and order initiatives for contributing to the drop in crime.
This is in stark contrast to his frustration before the 2008 election, which saw him resorting to having to lobby for the Manukau City Council funding its own private security patrol – an initiative which would have cost Manukau ratepayers up to $1 million.
