New measures announced to curb anti-social behaviour, youth crime

Additional police officers on streets of our three biggest cities and a new category for serious youth offenders were announced by the Government today in measures to combat anti-social behaviour and youth crime.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today the coalition Government was committed to maintaining law and order and reducing crime. "I'm sick of it. Kiwis are sick of it," he said, at the College Hill Police Station in Auckland, flanked by the Minister of Police Mark Mitchell and Minister for Children Karen Chhour.

"Our Government wants all Kiwis to feel safe in their homes. It shouldn’t matter where they live."

Also at the announcement today, Police Commissioner Andrew Coster said new Community Beat Teams were being established in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch to provide a "reassuring and responsive policing presence", staffed from additional constabulary officers confirmed in Budget 2024.

Coster said it was the start of a "staged two-year rollout" of 63 additional police officers in Auckland across the city's three policing districts, 17 in Wellington, and 10 in Christchurch. Additional officers would be deployed in towns and regional centres over time.

"We know communities want to see more police out and about, particularly in those areas experiencing challenges with anti-social behaviour and retail crime."

Auckland would be the first to benefit, with 21 additional staff redeployed to the Central Business District from July 1 to patrol the busiest spaces including Karangahape Rd, downtown, and along the Viaduct — ultimately increasing the Beat Team to more than 50 staff.

"Our intent is to move to a 24/7 beat model in the CBD, working on a rostered basis with five teams, each led by a Sergeant, to increase police visibility around the clock," Coster said.

"Increased visibility deters crime and encourages a sense of safety through positive engagement with the public and business owners."

Coster said teams, alongside existing response, prevention and investigation staff would continue to deploy to areas of "high demand".

"Crime trends have changed in recent years with more anti-social behaviour and public place crime and we’re responding by changing our deployment patterns to increase visibility and community reassurance."

Operation Safer Streets, an "intensive deployment operation" targeting anti-social behaviour and crime in the CBD, would continued until the Beat Team is "fully established and embedded".

Children's Minister Karen Chhour announced the Government was introducing a new declaration for young offenders with harsher penalties.

The new Young Serious Offender declaration could be applied to teenagers between 14 and 17 who have committed two offences punishable by imprisonment of 10 years of more and were assessed as being likely to reoffend by a court.

She said the new declaration for young offenders would "ensure they face tougher consequences and are better supported to turn their lives around".

The YSO declaration would provide more options for the Youth Court and Police to hold serious and persistent young offenders accountable and make "powerful interventions to improve their lives", she added.

"YSOs could be sent to a new Military-Style Academy, subjected to a greater use of electronic and judicial monitoring, and Police will have the power to arrest a young person without warrant for non-compliance with conditions of an order or a breach of their bail conditions.

"These interventions will not only benefit their lives in the long run but will reduce the number of victims they are creating.

"We are currently progressing with a pilot Military-Style Academy programme based at the youth justice facility in Palmerston North, under the current law."

The pilot programme will involve 10 participants who are already in the system.

Chhour said there were a group of young offenders committing a "significant proportion" of youth crime.

Police Minister Mark Mitchell and Associate Police Minister Casey Costello welcomed the decision to deploy more police on the beat in Auckland CBD.

Mitchell said, in a statement, New Zealanders were "utterly sick" of crime in our biggest city.

"Nobody should have to fear walking down Queen St, or constantly worry when their business will be the victim of retail crime."

He said today's beat teams announcement was one part of the Government's "extensive action" on law and order, citing new gang laws, the return of the Three Strikes law, and the establishment of military-style academies for young offenders as other examples.

Also in a statement, Costello said increased resources for police showed the Government was taking law and order seriously.

"Nobody should ever have to fear for their safety in our cities. But criminals should certainly fear the consequences of crime."