Children's Minister Kelvin Davis has suggested "impulsive" ram-raiding kids could be put off by law changes to factor in social media posts in sentences.
Speaking to Q+A, Davis said new changes to target ram-raiding children posting videos of themselves smashing cars into shops would be a "deterrent" against them from committing the crimes.
On Wednesday, the Government announced it would push through law changes to create a new ram-raiding criminal offence with a maximum 10-year jail term.
Additionally, posting ram raids online will become an aggravating factor in sentences as it's becoming "increasingly common for offenders to video their criminal behaviour and post or live stream it to show off to their friends and followers," the PM said.
Davis told Q+A: "There is the deterrent factor. Those young people, if they are caught posting online, there will be a consequence, and that's what communities want to see."
Earlier this week, Chris Hipkins unveiled an anti-youth crime "crackdown" with multiple "tranches" of new policy announcements.
In announcing the changes, the prime minister admitted "the system needs a shake-up" and that "Kiwis have had a guts-full of people acting as if the rules don't apply to them."
Opposition parties have slammed the changes as cynical electioneering, with the first advance votes to be cast at the ballot box in less than 70 days.
The prime minister says it’s time hard-core 12 and 13-year-old ram-raiders faced greater retribution. (Source: 1News)
National and ACT have been beating the law and order drum for months with a slew of attacks on Labour's record in power.
Speaking to host Jack Tame, Davis said ram-raiding children might think twice with the Government's new legislation.
"We know that they are impulsive. We know that they do things. If it does impact on some young people, they go: 'Well, I need to be careful here'. Then we're having some impact," the minister said.
"There will be some impact on some people. It's not going to impact on everybody. If [everybody who] committed a crime thought: 'Oh I may get caught or whatever, they wouldn't commit crimes.'"
'Clearly, there is a need': Davis on new youth justice units
On Tuesday, the Government announced it would build two new youth justice units to cater for up to 30 high-needs youth.
Davis told Q+A that the new policy was based on a need for a "continuum of care" and that there had been "no investment" in the facilities for decades.
"One of the problems in youth justice residences here in New Zealand is that there is no continuum of care," he said.
It comes after Labour announced new youth justice facility rules. (Source: Breakfast)
"If a young person comes in, regardless of their needs, it's a one size fits all. What we're saying is that needs to be a continuum where higher needs are looked after.
"I was in a youth justice residency yesterday — there were five units. What we're saying is that there could be a sixth unit there that is physically is designed better.
"There has been no investment in our youth justice residences for the last 20 years, and Australia, they sort of invest every decade or so.
"The physical unit needs to be better designed, but the model of care … needs to be more therapeutic if, I can use that word, to make sure that those young people with the highest of needs are looked after."
The opposition has criticised the new plans due to the lack of a business case or financial costings for the project. In his announcement, Hipkins said the Government would pledge to "start work towards" building the facilities.
The Children's Minister said work is already underway to improve the facilities. (Source: Breakfast)
Davis responded to the criticism: "What we're saying is that there will be a business plan done." When asked how much the units would cost, he said: "Clearly, there is a need."
The minister said the new units would likely be in Auckland and Christchurch.
"We're saying one in Auckland, probably at Korowai Manaaki, one in Christchurch at Te Puna Wai, so one with probably 20 beds and one with 10 beds.
"What is clear is that there is no continuum of care, that there is no model for those young people with higher needs."
Q+A With Jack Tame is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air.
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