KING TALKS BOLLOCKS

National has announced that it will be putting 300 more police into Counties Manukau.

Police Minister Annette King ( we used to respect her) has countered the announcement by saying it will create fear! Well bugger me, we know a few people in Counties Manukau and they say that fear is what they live with everyday.

I wonder if King has:

• Walked the streets of Manukau at night
• Visited local dairy owners
  
• Talked to the families of the victims of violence there
  
• Talked to her own police on the ground about how stretched they are trying to cope with what is fast becoming the criminal badlands of NZ.
  
• Talked to school teachers who see the effects of the lawlessness of the area.
• talked to families who have loved ones murdered and maimed.
  
• Talked to the Asian families who are enhancing our economy of the racism that is rife in Manukau.
  

Remember Mrs King - under Labour violent crime has soared by 47 per cent.

Key is right when he states in the Herald "For nine years, Labour has paid lip service to the citizens of Counties-Manukau while violence has soared by 65 per cent - and yet it has the second lowest police-to-population ratio of any police district in the country," Mr Key said.

He is going to put 25 more patrol cars on South Auckland streets within two years and boost overall New Zealand police numbers so there is one officer for every 500 people,"

We here at Roarprawn would like to see it higher than that - its simple arithmetic - put the money into proactive in your face coppers on the beat and you will save the money in the jails.

Mr Key also said an additional $18.5 million each year would be budgeted to recruit, train, and employ the extra police required.

"This will be funded from the allocation for new spending outlined in National's fiscal policy," Mr Key said.

He said National would also:

* Roll out Canterbury's persistent offender programme, which targets crime families, to other districts, subject to a positive evaluation of the trial;

* Ensure police work more closely with local communities to set and tackle local crime priorities and

* Ensure road safety policing concentrates on preventing accidents by focusing on those drivers and areas most at risk.

Good stuff National !