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LAW AND ORDER
INTRODUCTION
It is a basic right of all New Zealanders to live in a safe society.
New Zealand faces three fundamental issues in restoring the safe society we expect. The first is the need to restore public confidence in the police force. The second, which is linked to the first, is to dramatically increase police numbers to allow them to do their duty more effectively. The third issue relates to the prioritisation of the police force, and in this regard New Zealand First advocates the de-merger of the traffic officers from the police.
We simply must target burgeoning violent crime, which has been underpinned by the insidious gang and drug cultures which are increasingly becoming entrenched. An immediate campaign against lawlessness is needed now, while longer-term strategies are required to deal with the root causes of crime.
New Zealand First recognises that the rights of the victims are paramount, and that the offender's rights are subject to the rights of both the victim and the State.
New Zealand First acknowledges that unemployment, poor parenting, inappropriate peer group pressure, and other socio-economic factors contribute markedly to our crime rate. We advocate a balanced policy prescription containing the elements of prevention, apprehension, punishment, and rehabilitation. Frequently prison inmates come out worse than when they went in. This is not acceptable.
New Zealand First will introduce a category of outcome sentences which put the onus on the criminal to show that he or she is ready for release. New Zealand First's policies are tough, but fair and non-restrictive for law-abiding citizens.
We will integrate emergency services into a single Ministry of Emergency Services. Civil Defence, Police, Fire, and Ambulance will share facilities, stations, radio communication facilities, vehicles and civilian support staff. Information will be shared amongst these services to better co-ordinate services.
New Zealand First will also:
- double the size of the police force over the next five years, thereby ensuring that our police force will have the frontline police numbers, powers, and resources to create safer communities;
- give local police and community groups greater power and ability to deal with local problems, and, in particular ensure that Neighbourhood Watch has the resources to maintain and expand its community coverage;
- ensure that appropriate emergency services are available to meet the needs of all communities;
- introduce new measures designed to prevent crime 'at the source' and aim to eliminate the reasons young people enter into a life of crime;
- introduce a new sentencing regime which will give the public protection from serious, violent offenders. If there is not genuine rehabilitation the offender will serve the full sentence;
- make offenders more directly accountable to their victims and communities;
- make greater use of Limited Service Volunteers as diversion for young offenders and to promote the use of the cadet corps for at risk youth; and,
- make it clear that violent young offenders should indeed be treated differently from non-violent offenders through: special 'secure training order' sentences involving supervised control and intensive rehabilitation; other secure and military-type training options; and; widening the range of offences for which youths are automatically subject to adult processes, e.g. attempted murder, aggravated sexual assault, serious repeat offending.
RESOURCING OF POLICE
In order to achieve our goal of doubling the size of the police force, New Zealand First will:
- arrest the current exodus from our police force of both experienced and recently recruited officers;
- provide incentives for former officers to return to the force, including in non-sworn roles where their expertise will be valued;
- immediately provide additional frontline police following a detailed analysis of police to population ratios to ensure appropriate policing levels, and ensure that this additional staffing is not lost into support roles, but forms the nucleus of foot patrols so as to regain the lost conduit of valuable information about offenders and offending from citizens and business people;
- ensure that necessary police numbers are engaged in frontline duties by providing the requisite level of administrative support;
- rationalise the top tier of the police hierarchy by requiring the deployment of more of the experienced sworn police officers out of the Office of the Commissioner of Police (Police National Headquarters as it is otherwise known) and place them back out into operational areas for which they have been extensively and expensively trained. This will result in better supervision of younger constables and improved oversight of cases involving serious crimes.
In order to restore greater confidence in the police, New Zealand First will:
- immediately ensure that operational priorities and staffing levels enable the emergency 111 service to be fully operable and to restore public confidence in its operation;
- instigate a zero tolerance regime of abuse and crimes against police officers in the discharge of their duties;
- provide police with new powers to conduct random searches in designated public areas at designated times if there is a reasonable belief that individuals could be carrying dangerous weapons;
- expand the current legislation to ensure all people arrested are DNA tested and the records stored (there must also be the facility for voluntary swabs). This will occur at the same time and in the same manner as applies at present for finger printing of all those arrested and will simply form an electronic record of detainees as opposed to a database of prints. Mouth swabs will generally be used as opposed to blood samples;
- expand the resources of the Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR) to ensure it can cope with the increased demand for DNA testing;
- dramatically increase the number of trained police dogs and dog handlers;
- establish a compulsory register for all convicted paedophiles, with a legal requirement that they notify police of any change in address. Police will have the power to warn schools and community groups about the presence of convicted child sex offenders;
- better connect the community with the police force by expanding dedicated squads for community policing, serious crime/fraud, burglary, drugs, gang liaison, organised crime and other major crime fighting initiatives; and,
- in particular, declare war on gangs to make it impossible for them to operate legally.
BAIL LAWS
New Zealand First believes that the granting of bail must be fair and embrace both the needs of the victims of crime and the concerns of the community. We will:
- amend bail laws to ensure public safety is given priority;
- amend the law so that suspects or offenders may have the right to remain silent OR the right to apply for bail, BUT NOT BOTH;
- ensure police have the time and resources to put all relevant information before the court;
- stop the practice of back end home detention, which has seen vile sexual predators effectively released into unsuspecting communities;
- give the judiciary clear guidance on how those with previous convictions should be dealt with on bail applications; and,
- amend bail laws so that in a prima facie case, warranting trial for serious violent offences, bail will not be granted.
CORRECTIONS
New Zealand's corrections system is in disarray and in need of a radical and fundamental overhaul.
New Zealand First will:
- ensure that upon entry into a corrections facility all inmates with a sentence of six months or more will receive a psychological, medical and educational aptitude test and all rehabilitation programmes will be based on the outcomes of these tests;
- where evidence exists of drug and alcohol abuse the inmate will immediately embark on a detox programme;
- segregate inmates with mental illnesses from all other inmates and ensure that they receive appropriate treatment;
- ensure that inmate programmes are designed by appropriate specialists rather than prison service guards;
- ensure that the pay and conditions of prison service guards aid in maintaining moral rather than detracting from it;
- tighten up parole laws and repeal 'community service', with the aim of reinstating periodic detention; and,
- conduct a study into recidivism with the aim of assessing exactly which rehabilitation programmes actually work and which are token gestures and a waste of taxpayer money. Based on this New Zealand First will institute those programmes proven to reduce recidivist crime.
FIREARMS
New Zealand First's firearms policy is based on the belief that the public have a right to be protected from those with potential to misuse firearms.
New Zealand First will:
- provide Police with the necessary resources and powers to scrutinise, and vet the suitability of individuals to own firearms (including the right to access medical records);
- review the results of Firearms Law Reforms implemented in Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom;
- increase penalties (including minimum sentences) for firearm offences including improper possession and improper storage; and,
- resource increased random inspections of licensees' premises to check the security of firearms.
TRAFFIC OFFENCES (also see transport policy)
New Zealand First will:
- trial roadside drug testing using technology currently available overseas;
- legislate so that it is an offence to carry an open container of liquor in the seating compartment of a vehicle;
- ensure there is automatic loss of driver's licence for any person convicted of highway assault (road rage);
- ensure that any person using a motor vehicle in committing a serious crime will automatically suffer loss of licence and in some circumstances their vehicle; and,
- ensure that driving qualifications reflect (by way of continuous measured competence) ability in the areas of the driver's knowledge, skill, experience, fitness and attitude. To achieve this, simulator training will be investigated and where practical instigated.
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