Harsher penalties for assaults on first responders not effective deterrent
Labour's Justice spokesperson Duncan Webb,
Photo:
VNP / Phil Smith
Labour says tougher sentences for those who attack first responders are not an effective deterrent.
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith's bill proposes new offences for assaulting or injuring police, corrections, ambulance and fire officers with intent - a New Zealand First policy.
The new offence of assaulting a first responder with intent to injure would mean up to five years in prison - two years higher than the standard offence - while injuring them with intent would carry a sentence of up to seven years and counts against the
three strikes regime
which can impose mandatory minimum sentences.
Labour's Justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said attacks against first responders already attracted longer sentences. "So this is doing more of the same."
Webb said harsher sentences were not an effective deterrent - and the three strikes law, for example, failed to reduce offending.
He said the government should focus on recruitment to support first responders.
"We think the better response would be to recruit more Corrections officers and the 500 police officers that haven't turned up yet.
"That's what really makes them safer - to support them in the work that they're doing."
Photo:
RNZ / Marika Khabazi
Goldsmith said first responders ran towards danger rather than away from it to help those who needed urgent assistance.
"Assaulting them puts multiple lives at risk, so there must be greater consequences for these heinous acts of violence. Our hardworking police officers, firefighters, paramedics and prison officers deserve better," he said.
The proposed legislation was promised in National's coalition agreement with New Zealand First, and follows a Member's bill by then-NZ First MP Darroch Ball was rejected in 2020 by Labour and National, which said it
was poorly drafted
.
The announcement follows a suite of sentencing changes that
came into effect on Sunday
.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
an hour ago
- RNZ News
Review into Whānau Ora Commissioning funding terms of reference released
Photo: RNZ / Mihingarangi Forbes Terms of reference for a review into Whānau Ora Commissioning funding have been released. The review will be led by Doug Craig, director of the RDC Group consultancy, who recently investigated concerns raised about Manurewa marae. Te Puni Kōkiri set up the independent investigation last week after reports Te Pou Matakana Limited spent up on an ad campaign urging people to switch to the Māori electoral roll, and Pasifika Futures Limited put $770,000 towards the Moana Pasifika rugby team. Concerns have also been raised about contracting decisions and conflicts of interest by a Pasifika Futures senior executive. The review will examine funding plans and Outcome Agreements, conduct interviews with the agencies, and gather advice from public agencies and the Auditor-General on best practice use of public funding. It will report back on: However, the review cannot comment on the competence of individuals involved, "except to the extent this related directly to contract management, or determining any disciplinary matters". The two agencies' commissioning contracts expire today, with four new commissioning agencies beginning contracts on Tuesday. Te Puni Kōkiri policies not related to the review, and the contracts held with Te Pou Matakana, Pasifika Futures, or other agencies are also out of scope. Interim reports will be provided every week, starting this Friday, 4 July - and a final report will be delivered to the ministry for review and comment. The Secretary of Māori Development may then release the final report or a summary of findings. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
an hour ago
- RNZ News
PM on youth boot camps after participant withdrawn: "I don't think we should give up"
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said there had been challenges in the community transition part of the military-style youth boot camp pilot, but that was expected and ideas for improvements would be considered. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi The Prime Minister is defending the government's boot camps despite one participant being removed from the pilot following a court appearance, saying they are some of New Zealand's most challenging young people but "I don't think we should give up on them." Oranga Tamariki confirmed on its website on Monday that one of the teenagers who was part of the pilot was "withdrawn" and "transferred to Corrections custody." The agency would not comment further because the issue was before the court, but its acting deputy chief executive of youth justice services Iain Chapman said the team who worked closely with the participant during the pilot was "disappointed with the outcome for this young person." "We are continuing to provide support and work alongside their whānau through this transition to the adult jurisdiction." Chapman said the focus now was ensuring the best outcome for the eight remaining participants in the final weeks of the pilot, which concludes next month. The military style academies for youth have come under scrutiny by opposition parties for a lack of transparency , particularly the reoffending rate of the teenagers. Reducing reoffending was a primary goal for the boot camps. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the military style academies had been a "good initiative" and one of several things the government was trying to do to reduce reoffending, but he didn't expect everyone coming through the programme wouldn't reoffend. "We obviously said we've put in place a pilot," he said, and would consider how that played out when finalising the legislation. "There were some really good learnings from my take in the residential component in particular, and there was some challenges, as we had expected, in terms of the community transition." He said that information would be digested. The government could consider potentially extending the residential period he said, and what more could be done about the community transition period. He said the government would continue to "perfect" the boot camps to see how they could work better and "have more impact." "We are dealing with some of New Zealand's most challenging young people. But I don't think we should give up on them." He said the government was giving them an opportunity to "change their lives" and "put it on a different trajectory than where it's heading". "If they choose not to take that opportunity that's ultimately on them, but we are going to give them every opportunity to choose a better pathway." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
2 hours ago
- RNZ News
Man in custody after death in Auckland's Ōtāhuhu
A man died after being seriously injured at a house on Beatty Street in Ōtāhuhu on Sunday night. (File photo) Photo: RNZ / REECE BAKER A man has been taken into custody as part of a homicide investigation, following the death of a man in the Auckland suburb of Ōtāhuhu. Emergency services were called to a house on Beatty Street about 8.30pm on Sunday 29 June, following reports a person had been seriously injured, police said. Speaking on Monday morning, Counties Manukau CIB detective inspector Karen Bright said when officers arrived they found a man in a critical condition. He was taken to hospital but died of his injuries overnight. "Our teams are working hard to identify and locate the person responsible and are asking anyone who saw what happened, who has not yet spoken to us, to please get in touch," she said on Monday morning. "Those involved are believed to be known to each other and we do not believe there is any ongoing risk to the wider community." She said there would be an increased police presence in the area. Later on Monday evening, Bright said a man was taken into custody during the afternoon by the team investigating the incident. "We are currently speaking to the 31-year-old as part of our enquiries," she said. "This is positive progress in our investigation and at this point we are not seeking anyone else." Police expect to announce their decisions about charges on Tuesday morning, she said. "Other aspects of our enquiry will continue, with a scene examination and a post-mortem examination to be carried out." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
