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The Pomona Street ram raid is yet another example of the increasing crime problems in our city. I send my support to the owners of this shop and hope that the individuals involved can be apprehended as soon as possible. Just because these crimes continue to happen does not make them right. We need to get tough on criminals, or this offending is just going to continue to grow. We do not need these types of attacks in our city.
In a worrying trend, violent crime in the Southern region is up by over a third on the same period last year, as Labour fails to deliver, Invercargill MP Penny Simmonds says. In the latest crime statistics, there were 4963 violent offenses in the Southern region between January and April this year, up by 1327 or 36.5 percent compared to the same period in 2022. This compares with a ten percent increase across the country.
Labour’s soft on crime approach is wreaking havoc in the South, and it’s individuals, families, and communities who are paying the price. I believe these increases in crime relate to a lack of government support. This is despite our local police doing an amazing job, often under increasingly difficult circumstances.
Violent offending is the worst kind of offending – it dramatically impacts victims and can affect their lives for years. To see violent crime increasing in our region is both worrying and concerning, and it really comes down to Labour taking it easy on criminals.
It’s time for a change. Under a National Government, offenders will face consequences for their actions. We will not give criminals a free ride, whether they are youth offenders, ram raiders, or gangs.
Our law-and-order policies will allow ordinary Kiwis to once again feel safe in their homes, businesses, and neighborhoods. Policies like making filming a ram raid an aggravating factor in sentencing, banning gang patches, creating military academies for young offenders, and giving remand prisoners the opportunity for rehabilitation courses.
National will not tolerate a ram raid every 10-15 hours as the new normal. There has been a 66 percent increase in gang members on Labour’s watch. National will not tolerate gangs disrupting our communities. The fact that the Mongrel Mob is desperate for Labour to win this election tells you all you need to know.”