‘I’m not afraid to use armed force’

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The letter then says the author is “not afraid to use armed force in self-defence if my business, home or my family or neighbours are assaulted”.

“I am a licensed firearm holder and I am prepared to use whatever force is necessary to protect my family at home or my business.” of New Zealand-trained nurses by other countries, luring them to higher-paying options overseas. This has to be addressed, and over the weekend National announced our policy to encourage nurses to stay in New Zealand and work here.

The author says they’ve set up a neighbourhood watch and extended its protection to “neighbours who have consented”.

The letter ends with advice for residents to help them stay safe, such as keeping valuable items out of sight, keeping doors locked, joining a local neighbourhood support group and setting up an alarm system.

Counties Manukau East Police relieving area commander, Inspector Rakana Cook, says police have begun making enquiries to establish who circulated the letter “so we can connect with them to discuss their concerns”.

The key part of our plan is to offer to pay off a large portion of the student loan debt incurred by nurses training in New Zealand, up to $4500 a year for five years that they work here after graduating, a total of $22,500.

Many graduates don’t leave because they want to, but because they feel they need to in order to pay off their student loans. This is a common reason why recent graduates take up offers overseas, so paying it off for them is a small thanks we can offer in return for staying and contributing their expertise here.

We will also offer a $10,000 relocation grant for nurses overseas to come to New Zealand, to better compete with other countries. This would apply to up to 1000 qualified nurses or midwives and will help fill the shortage in a small space of time.

National has costed this policy at around $60 million a year, and we will pay for it out of the $400 million of savings we have committed to by reducing Labour’s spending on consultants and contractors.

Our health system is far from one anyone should expect out of a developed nation, and it is only going to get worse if we do not immediately take steps to address the issues we face.

This policy is just the first of several we will roll out to get our healthcare back to a level that Kiwis can trust will deliver and save lives.

Simeon Brown, MP for Pakuranga

“Police are working hard every day to prevent crime and hold offenders accountable, but we acknowledge our communities’ concerns around crime. When it comes to a person’s safety, we would strongly suggest they call police or get themselves into a position where they and their family are safe.

“We would not recommend trying to use weapons or violence because you can be dealing with brazen offenders and your safety is paramount to us.”

Cook says people with concerns about crime in their neighbourhood should contact their local police station. As the Times recently reported, the number of Kiwis who have reported being the victim of crime has risen 46 per cent since 2017.

Police data shows the number of victimisations increased from 241,000 in 2017 to 350,000 last year.

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