Law and order top of agenda
It’s been more than 30 years since a very young constable Mark Mitchell, fresh out of police training, went on the beat on the streets of Levin.
Last Wednesday, as National’s Police spokesperson, the Whangaparaoa MP was back in the Horowhenua District at the invitation of his party’s Otaki candidate Tim Costley. Mitchell’s police career included time as a dog handler and with the Armed Offenders Squad.
His public meeting at the Senior Citizen’s Hall was interactive and lively: mentions of sending 501ers back to Australia and National’s plan to establish Youth Military Academy for 15-17 year olds drew applause. His on-the-ground experiences as a police officer and his interaction with retailers earlier in the day seemed to resonate with the crowd.
“Iron bars, bollards and fog cannons are all very well, but it’s not facing the basic problem,” he told the 85-strong audience. He fielded questions on roadside drug testing, police pursuits, lack of parental guidance and questions over who has the right to detain shoplifters.
Costley said the healthy turnout showed the high level of concern about increasing lawlessness; ‘‘People had obviously travelled some distance to have their say, because we had questions from both Waikanae and Otaki residents about specific local crime concerns they face.’’
Mitchell offered three suggestions. He said that effects of the Labour Government’s repealing of the Three Strikes legislation in 2017 were now being felt. ‘‘Also, reducing the prison muster by 30 per cent without thinking through the other support required has put huge pressure on the Department of Corrections, and having people out on electronic bail is all very well, but I know that the bail breach rate has recently increased by as much as 97 per cent, ” he said.
Describing Central Districts Police Commander Scott Fraser as an outstanding leader of frontline police, Mitchell ended the 80-minute meeting with a pledge: “I will always defend our world-class police force and if elected, National is committed to drive the necessary changes to maintain that goal.”