KW: Todays announcement by National Party leader Simon Bridges that National will create a police “strike force unit to harass and disrupt gangs every single day” is breathtakingly stupid. Happily here in Hastings the local mayor Sandra Hazelhurst is showing more common sense when refuting the idea saying that more discussion in the community with gangs included is a better way forward. Wee Simon is not building bridges and hasn’t thought this through and it is just a red neck vote catcher effort on his part. Yes gangs especially maori gangs are a huge and difficult problem that is growing but what will a police strike force unit achieve?
- Absolute war for a start. Imagine the scenario a police strike force unit harrassing (now illegally) armed gangs. This is going to lead to deaths as the cops shoot it out with gangs
- No better safety for ordinary law abiding citizens who will lose their rights to privacy and home security
- Harrasement of ordianry citizens. All over the world it is demonstrated that if you give sweeping power to the cops they will use them to harrass you. The police should not be trusted with harrasment and disruption powers as they become criminals themselves with the power. Look at the U.S. for example where armed police take the law into their own hands daily to arrest and harm often quite violently law abiding citizens in their own homes for often trivial misdemeanors such as unpaid bills. We all will be far worse off than before, this is a dangerous step and no I’m not a cop basher
If I was thinking of voting for National next election this one stupid policy idea ensures that I won’t be
Hastings mayor wants to bring together community at a special ‘gang forum ‘.