Summarised by Centrist
The National Party, the self styled party of law and order, has unveiled its plan to restore, well… law and order.
The plan includes the addition of 500 new police officers over the next two years, with a focus on highly-visible patrols starting in Auckland from 1 July 2024.
Other key measures include reinstating the Three Strikes law for repeat offenders, capping sentence discounts at 40%, and limiting excuses like ‘youth’ or ‘remorse’ for reduced sentences.
The plan also introduces a new aggravating factor for serious retail crimes against sole charge staff, pilots military-style boot camps for serious young offenders, and establishes a serious youth offender category.
Additionally, new laws will target gang activities with a controversial patch ban, enhanced powers to prevent gang associations, and increased penalties for gang membership at sentencing.
“These changes won’t be popular with the opposition and the pundits who say we should keep doing what’s been done for years – but I don’t care,” Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is quoted as saying.
Editor’s Note: By avoiding expenditures on politicising the police force with initiatives like rainbow cars, DEI policy development, and non-essential activities, the focus can stay on front line resources needed to tackle violent crime.
Read more over at The National Party website
Image: Archives New Zealand
