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What we are up against
A Summary of the Current Situation
This is a selection of current information on the state of Law and Order in New Zealand, derived either from official sources or from groups working at the forefront of the problem, such as Rape Crisis
- New Zealand is awash with violent crime.
Rape, brutality and murder are everyday events (compare us with international stats here).
- Children as young as 12 years old are committing murder in New Zealand
- 30% of youth crime is committed by truant children.
- There are three times as many gang members in this country as there are Police officers!! (7,104 Police - 21,882 gang members/affiliates)
- New Zealand is one of the most under-policed countries in the western world. To match Australia, on a per head of population basis, we would need 1,700 more police, 2,500 to match the UK, and 4,000 to equal the US..
- In 2002 there were 2,100 assaults on Police Officers.
- The manufacture of methamphetamine ( "P" ) increased 300% in 2002 (2,840% since 1999)
- 5 percent of New Zealand families produce 90 percent of our criminals!!
- NZ has the third highest rate of child-abuse deaths among OECD countries (from 2005 Unicef report)
- Over 1200 rapes and 2900 sexual attacks in total have been committed every year in New Zealand for the past 7 years (2004)
- Rape Crisis handled over 4000 calls/visits from rape victims in 2005
- CYFS dealt with 1443 confirmed cases of sexual abuse in 2005
- It is a fact that 83 percent of male and 75 percent of female prisoners reoffend
- 49% of prisoners released after serving time for violent offences reoffend within a year.
- The recidivism rate for our youth offenders is 97%.
- Rehabilitation therefore does not work for repeat violent offenders
- The number of 14 to 16 year olds apprehended by the Police averaged just under 31,000 between 1995 and 2001, but increased to 33,994 in 2003. This is the highest figure recorded in the decade, and is 19 percent greater than the figure in 1994.
- The number of 14 to 16 year olds apprehended for violent offences increased by 33 percent since 1994, with the 2003 figure (3,166) being the highest recorded
- Every hour 50 crimes are committed in NZ.
- The justice system budgets over $50,000 in legal aid per offender in New Zealand....however...
- The justice system also budgets $29.50 in victim support per victim of crime in New Zealand
- Victims have less rights than Offenders in New Zealand
Crime Never Sleeps....
NONE OF US ARE IMMUNE!!!!