By TeKāhu
Family First have released a shocking video containing footage of various attacks in the community. The footage, from the last several months, is brutal and indicative of the crime crisis New Zealand is currently gripped in.
The spikes in gang violence including skyrocketing gun crime, daylight thefts, seemingly random attacks in parks and beaches all point to a significant deterioration in police leadership.
With Poto Williams now gone from the Police portfolio and Chris Hipkins in charge, it appears that the Labour party may finally be concerned with public opinion on accountability, justice and safety, considering thenext election is only a year away.
Of grave concern in the mix is the issue of the Three Strikes law, which the Labour party has already stated they will repeal.
And just who is it who would be affected by the 3 Strikes law? The following are just two such examples:
First Recidivist Offender:
EXHIBIT A is a second striker. He attempted to murder a man by shooting him with a shotgun. The victim was lucky to survive. That was his second strike offence.
Ironically the attempted murder took place at a hostel for prisoner rehabilitation!
His first strike was an aggravated robbery in which he and another offender terrorised a shopkeeper in their antique shop. He committed his first strike offence while on bail.
He has 129 criminal convictions. He is a very dangerous man and a hard-core recidivist offender.
Under Three Strikes, he has to serve his entire 10 years, 2 months term of imprisonment, without being released early on parole. Three Strikes keeps him in prison until at least July 2026.
Without Three Strikes he would be eligible for parole after just 3 years, 4 months imprisonment – around September next year – almost 7 years less than under Three Strikes. The sentencing Judge suggested that without Three Strikes, a minimum term of 40% – or 4 years – would have been imposed. That’s only 6 months more than the bare minimum!
How many more victims will he create in those extra 7 years he gets to be out in the community? Does anyone think he is going to stop at offence no. 130?
Second Recidivist offender:
EXHIBIT B is a second striker. He is currently serving a 7 years 6 months term of imprisonment for his second strike offence of aggravated wounding, and importing methamphetamine (not a strike offence). The methamphetamine was believed to be worth over $180,000. He committed his second strike offence while in custody, soon after being arrested and appearing in court on the methamphetamine charges. He repeatedly punched and kicked the police sergeant escorting him, battering him unconscious. He also assaulted two other police officers who intervened.
The police sergeant assaulted retired from the force after this attack.
His first strike offence was for kidnapping for which he was sentenced to 2 years imprisonment. He and some of his gang associates confronted a business owner and detained him against his will while threatening him with a sharpened screwdriver held to his throat.
A gang member, he has a very extensive list of criminal convictions according to the Judge who last sentenced him, however the exact number is unknown. We do know they include “offences of serious violence” and started at age 16. Three strikes prevents him being released early by the Parole Board as he must serve his second strike sentence without eligibility for parole.
Under Three Strikes, he will remain in prison, ineligible for parole, for at least two more years than if Three Strikes was not in force.
The Ardern government has advised that they will repeal the law.
And as an example of a political party pushing forward without the mandate of the people, independent polling shows that just 25% of New Zealanders support scrapping the 3 Strikes law.
