By Darroch Ball

“Youth crime is out of control and the government needs to admit it and do something about it before kids gets hurt or killed,” says Darroch Ball Leader of Sensible Sentencing Trust.

“Under this government we have seen not only the increase in ‘ram raids’ and ‘smash and grabs’ committed by youth we have seen kids as young as eleven involved in the wave of aggravated robberies that are hamstringing business owners.”

“If nothing is done store owners will start arming themselves and defending their lives and property with dire consequences.  The molasses-like inaction of this government is letting these youth get so brazen that they think even midday robberies are now worth the “likes” they get on social media.”

“Its increasingly hard to accept that Labour doesn’t know that the way they are approaching youth crime is not only wrong but it is helping to perpetuate the increase in the violence, brazenness, and numbers of offences being committed.”

“Labour is increasingly looking like they are frozen in their own ‘soft on crime’ headlights.”

“We are seeing store owners and members of the public now having to get involved to try and stop this never-ending wave of crime committed mostly by youth – yet the same old silent rhetoric from the government is as equally never-ending.”

“Labour’s approach to youth crime has clearly failed and its up to them to admit it before its too late.”

“If they fail to make a change in the way they approach youth crime they will suffer the ignominy of having to explain why a dairy owner or a child has been hurt or killed because of their blind incompetence.”

“It is only a matter of time.”

“New Zealand needs to see we are quickly turning into a place we only imagined existed in other parts of our world.”