No 1 focus is for people to feel safe

By Frank Neill

Ginny Andersen’s “number one focus” as the new Police Minister “is for New Zealanders to feel safe,” she says.

“There are three main ways I want to do that.

“The first is backing the Police.”

Ms Andersen says she wants to make sure that New Zealand has 1,800 more Police officers this year, and also that she wants to ensure that there are appropriate laws in place.

“The second main area is reducing retail crime,” she says.

The number of ram raids on retail outlets has reduced recently “and I want these to continue to track downwards”.

She is also keen to promote the Government’s Fog Cannon Subsidy to help keep retail businesses safe.

This scheme provides a subsidy of up to $4,000 for small retail businesses such as dairies, bottle stores and service stations to have a fog cannon installed.

The Police’s Retail Crime Prevention Unit was set up last year, and this will also be a focus for Ms Andersen.

The government allocated $6 million from the Proceeds of Crime Fund to establish the

Retail Crime Prevention Programme.

This prevention programme is intended to deliver protective equipment, and additional prevention advice for retailers to reduce the risk of harm for the community, as well as support the health and safety of retailers and their staff.

The third area Ms Andersen plans to work on is youth offending.

“I am always open to look at more opportunities to reduce youth offending,” she says.

“It is a complex area.

“There are some big issues that are the drivers of crime, including family violence and mental health.”

Her aim of working to make New Zealanders feel safe was also to the fore before she became the Police Minister.

It was a major reason why she “worked really hard” on the reopening of the Wainuiomata Police Station, she says.

Ms Andersen officially reopened the station on 4 October last year.

“Having a permanent Police presence in Wainuiomata means that Police are not only responding to crime but are reassuring people in the community.

“That is part of making people feel safe and this is a priority for me,” she says.