Wednesday 22 November 2006

"Getting tough" in Manukau?

The Mayor of Manukau and the Police District Commander for Counties Manukau want to “get tough” on violence in the Manukau area, where twelve people have died in recent months from violence and destruction.

Do they want to seriously crack down on vandalism, graffiti and hooliganism -- stopping young criminals before a career of criminality -- along the lines of New York’s enormously successful ‘Broken Windows’ programme? No, they don’t.

Do they want to unshackle policemen like the former Sergeant Solomona who was sacked for treating young criminals as young criminals – for literally getting tough with criminals and demanding respect for the law? No, nothing like that.

Do they back a man’s right to defend himself and his co-workers against a violent machete attack? You must be kidding.

Are they calling for sentencing, parole and bail provisions that ensure that those charged and convicted with violent crimes aren’t able to threaten peaceful people, and that demonstrates to those contemplating violent crime that criminals are not role models, and that serious crime will guarantee serious consequences? No, of course not.

Are they demanding a change to the failed education policies of the state’s factory schools in which up to sixty percent of Maori and up to forty percent of non-Maori emerge functionally illiterate, and the majority emerge having never learned that their actions will have real-life consequences? Not a bit of it.

Are they demanding a change to the endemic culture of welfare dependency, a culture that all-but engulfs South Auckland’s suburbs, which are awash with government money and government programmes? You really must be joking.

Getting tough? Really?

What they say is “Let’s Get Tough,” but what they’re doing is … trying to close down Manukau’s liquor stores. As always when tough political problems are raised the tough questions are unasked, and the easy political solution is wheeled out. “Get tough on violence” say the Mayor and the District Commander, and the district’s alcohol retailers quake. This ignore the many causes, and remove only a symptom. They seek to look tough, and succeed only in looking pathetic.

This is just more of the same short-term blindness that has caused the problems they now claim to be addressing. I look forward to Mayor Curtis and District Commander X genuinely getting tough – perhaps by acting on even one of the real problems just touched on above.

While I’m waiting, I might just have a drink. Or even two.

6 comments:

leelion said...

Well said. I heard the mongrel mob showed a display of force in Gisbourne yesterday - surprise. They're telling us they're bigger than the law and regard it, and us, with contempt.

Anonymous said...

Curtis is a fool, but lowering the drinking age has caused no problems in society - right? Ask any Police Officer.

You supported the law - and to paraphrase O'Rourke, if you give teenage kids whisky and car keys don't be surprised at the carnage that ensues. 18 year olds already had access to alcohol. Now 14 year olds do. We have an 87% increase in 10-14 year olds in hospital with alcohol poisoning. We have a horrible increase in suicides in this age- group.

Getting all authoritarian on youth when we adults see the results of policies we have been largely responsible for is a cop-out and smacks of a guilty conscience.

Rebel Radius said...

"Senior police officer says crime will fall if addicts are sated."

The Telegraph has an article where UK police are now wanting to give addicts heroine.

link to source

Anonymous said...

Getting tough on crime isn't much use in a society where the premises that breed crime are actively supported by the same people who promote "getting tough".

The same politicians that talk about cracking down on property crime are the ones who support the biggest property crime - tax.

Those same politicians also talk about cracking down on violent crime yet they are quite happy to use threats of violence to implement their grandoise dreams of an artificial societal order.

Isn't it hillarious how Commander Curtis talks about getting tough on crime (like property crime) and then goes on to promote theiving property from liquor store owners?

If we want to get tough on crime, we should be talking about how to kick the gangsters (AKA as "Government" these days) out of power

Anonymous said...

Quite right Willie.

In fact Barnados have just asked me to foster 'at risk' kids.

They have checked out this blog and others I visit - mainly childless people who support the free use of drugs and alcohol - as The Heretik says - Cruelty has had its casual night. To all of us belongs the day. Some men see things as they are and ask why. Others blind the world with darkness, some gift us with a little light.

I hope I will be able to offer something to kids beyond drugs and alcohol, and suicide as the result. Meanwhile PC keeps deleting me. Go figure.

Peter Cresswell said...

Ruth, if you'd like to read that back to yourself in the morning, you might realise why you've been banned here.