Canterbury loses frontline community policing

new-zealand-labour-party

Thu Oct 08 2009 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)

Canterbury loses frontline community policing

Thursday, 8 October 2009, 2:16 pm
Press Release: New Zealand Labour Party

8 October 2009
Media Statement

The loss of thousands of hours of frontline community policing in the Canterbury district strips vital resources from police at a time when they are more concerned than ever about youth crime and alcohol abuse, says Labour law and order spokesperson and Waimakariri MP Clayton Cosgrove.

“Community-focused police are right at the heart of police initiatives to make our communities safer,” Clayton Cosgrove said. “They work in areas like community liaison, youth aid, youth education and iwi liaison. They are trying to prevent problems happening before they become problems.”

Clayton Cosgrove says he has been told by well-informed sources that cuts to community policing in the Canterbury police district are being forced by the district’s need to comply with the John Key Government’s demand to slash the police budget by $21 million.

“I already know of police vehicles being taken away in my electorate. But I am really concerned with what I am told is happening in community policing, where two 15-week trials are taking place in which each community police officer is pulled off that role for a week each during both trials,” Clayton Cosgrove said.

“That means 30 weeks in which several officers each week will not be doing the job they are supposed to be doing, or some thousands of hours of community policing lost across the trial period. About 150 staff are involved altogether.

“Through no fault of their own, community police are having their ability diluted to provide a consistent service to the people and communities who need it. How many at-risk young people will fall through the cracks in that time?”

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Clayton Cosgrove says he has been told that the irony is that many of the police affected are being assigned in their “week off normal duties” to areas of policing at which they might not be as effective or efficient.

“And while that is happening, no one is filling in for them so their community hours are lost.

“The police are trying against the odds to balance community safety against the government’s demand to do more for less. Last week’s crime statistics showed crime increasing again after beginning to fall under Labour. Things are getting worse, not better. And this is from a government that talked tough on law and order in election year. Communities are now seeing the reality.”

ENDS

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