More Law and Order Nonsense from National

Intrigued by John Key’s fibs about violent crime being out of control in New Zealand, I thought I would have a prowl about National’s site and see if I could find other Tory Law and Order nonsense. I didn’t have to look far. One look at National’s most recent releases and I alighted upon Chester Burrows’ release about Police confidence. The gist of Burrows’ argument is that Labour’s “focus on getting 1,000 new police has distracted them [sic] from improving conditions for existing officers”.

Burrows’ cheap attempt to deal himself into the “engagement survey” results is bizarre. For a start, if you look at the Police Association’s media releases for the past five to six years you will see a consistent theme about the need for more Police - particularly in Auckland. This message abruptly changed in December 2005 when the Police Association celebrated the Labour-led government’s decision to add another 1000 Police. As the President of the Association said at the time,

“The Association been stressing the need for more frontline police for sometime, to build and maintain public confidence and meet their understandably high expectations of service. We see the commitment today as a real step towards the new Government’s pledge to achieve sworn police to population ratios comparable with that of Australia by 2010″

The Association has not resiled from this position. The only caveat to this is the Association’s concern about the possible reduction in recruiting standards and, as any good union should, then link this to the need to increase pay (see O’Connor’s 30 June 06 release).

So it would seem the Police - or at least the Police Association - would disagree with Mr Burrows’ characterisation of the focus on implementing 1000 additional Police as being a distraction.

What else would Burrows do - if he thinks adding more Police is just a distraction? Is he going to now champion Police salaries? Is that National’s policy?  I think he will find the Police wanting both - more cops and more money. The Labour-led government is providing more Police and, as the incumbent government, has unfortunately been a little less forthcoming about lifting pay rates for Police. But I am surprised, if not pleased, to see National potentially going into the Election with a promise to increase the pay rates of least one group of public servants.

Tags: crime, police