Grasping nettles at the cliff bottom

Garth George examines the Dame Sian address on crime and agrees with her stance.

There is no question of going back to the days when victims were largely irrelevant in criminal proceedings," said Dame Sian, "But I would like to see some serious assessment of whether the emotional and financial cost of keeping victims in thrall to the criminal justice processes (through sentencing and on to parole hearings) does help their recovery from the damage they have suffered, or whether they are re-victimised through these processes.

I however, do not.

The underlying premise is that the convicted criminal has rights is utterly wrong. The criminal is so named because of transgressions against what as a society we deem to be the norm. Having broken those rules, the criminal forfeits his rights.

Particularly rights to live within society at large. And to incur punishment for the crime.

Think about that if you will.

The criminal justice processes that the learned Dame refers to are not there to help criminals, but to exact retribution for criminal actions. And if there is an emotional and financial cost of keeping victims in that thrall, then so be it. That is the cost of crime in our society.

Partying at the end of the motorway

Another group of young Kiwis gets their heads stoved in, possibly courtesy of out-of-towners.

The youth gangs are a new thing around here, we haven't had many problems with them before. Waterview is generally a safe place - it's those that come into the area that make trouble. It's quite freaky and I worry about my children.

Maybe Ms Lee was right about criminals looking for trouble at the end of the motorway.

ps For the journo: West Auckland starts at the Whau River south west of Avondale. I think you will find Waterview residents pay rates to employ Mr Banks. No wonder Westies get a bad rap when you journos get off the motorway and get lost in the 'burbs.

35 48 51 Hours - updated

Reports are in that the Napier siege may be over.

A traumatic 35 hours for all those involved.

With all the modern technology and weaponry available these days surely there are more effective ways to resolve such issues. Was that a real LAV?

UPDATE:
Still going at 48 plus hours.

"The man has not been shot at by police."

The spin starts. A press conference has been called.


UPDATE:
Over at 51 hours.

As I said before there has to be a better way than taking this long to rout 1 person holding a city to ransom. Procedures must change after this episode.

"I have no intention of calling meetings with gangs"

A start in the right direction. Predictably the separatist racist tribalist Maori Party thinks dialogue is possible. 'Enduring solutions' are said to be required. I could make a few suggestion on such long term solutions, but I am sure my readers will be thinking along similar lines.

I expect prisoner restraints to be fitted to vehicles and escape hatches removed irrespective of the law. The law needs changing post-haste. Convicted prisoners do not have rights the general public enjoy.

Whilst on the change in direction. A number of other recent issues.

Mr Plod needs a 24x7 presence in this area. It is not the HC jobs to ascertain whether their clientele are gang members. Like WINZ, most of their clientele already are.

Police told The Dominion Post that their officers avoided the area.

Totally unacceptable Mr Broad. It is the Police's job to ensure every street in NZ is safe.

Another issue. This oxygen sucker on a massive salary needs to work out when bail is breached. Caught with alcohol, pisses drugs.

Bailey Junior Kurariki, I don't know whether you'll come before me again but let me make it quite clear to you for your sake ... I really should have refused bail for you, and that is because the record shows that time and time again you have [been] given the opportunity to be at large, or on bail terms ... which is that you are not to consume alcohol and drugs.

But time and time again a drugs test has been given and you have failed. And once more, although you have protested that you have not taken any drugs, it wasn't until after you've been administered that test that you realised the game was up.

You then admitted that you've been taking drugs.

This is not a game, Kurariki.

What else is needed? Bail has been broken, lock the little prick up. The game was over for him six years ago.


Sort out the mess in Corrections, the soft Judiciary and the lawyers milking the legal aid system which has been left by Helengrad.

Rubberneckers need to f... off!

Amidst the misery of the tragedy still unfolding in Victoria.

callous looters had attempted to steal from the only assets spared in the inferno

noted the appearance of a suspicious Holden Commodore with a trailer, driven by two outsiders, who looked like there were "from the city".

The depths of depravity to which humanity will sink knows no bounds.

One can only hope looters, along with the arsonists are dealt to most severely. A lead aspirin is a starting point. Alternatively, a personal swing constructed of the finest hemp would be more fitting. Maybe a lingering burning at the stake. Now, there's a thought...

Corrections staff on the take

today's Sunday News reports Dixon lived the high life behind bars, with "unfettered" access to Class A drugs and other illegal contraband.

The newspaper also reports that Dixon had sex in prison with a female friend who posed as a registered psychologist to gain entry to his cell in 2003.

And how else would any sane person explain such unfettered access? High time Corrections was exposed to a detailed inquisition, starting with management.

Corrections: 'Stuffed up'

So says the lawyer as his cash cow ended his tortured life this morning apparently from self-inflicted injuries hours away from sentencing.

I suspect many will be thinking this is the only bit of good news that ever came from Corrections of late.

Intoxicated in public

While Mr Plod and CYFS in NZ fails to retain control of pissed pregnant 14 year old driver, Wyoming has problems of its own with a headless horseman on a white nag in whiteout conditions.

Dangerous driving?

Should be charged with murder.

Corrections: Doin' da business

... six escapes in seven days

... a "technical shortcoming" at Hamilton Central police station

Nice to see nothing has changed for Corrections and Mr Plod with a change of government.

Business as usual. Not unsurprised though, I expected nothing less.

Alleged???

From what I saw on the TV the other night, the 'alleged' perp certainly wasn't doing the dusting.

Bloody PC reports.

Nia jury out

One hopes they will not be out for long. And that the right verdict is returned.

Greedy bitch gets slapped with a wet bus ticket

this defendant still has a sense of entitlement and perhaps a lack of appreciation of the wrongness that has been done

The fake certificates had been used "so you could obtain sickness benefit at a time when you were ineligible for the unemployment benefit because there was plenty of work out there if you chose to do it", he said. "So, in other words, it seemed easier to you to go on the sickness benefit than to go and do the work ...

"The offending could be described as greedy and lazy ... It's got the added characteristic of involving getting stuck into public funds put aside for people who are in real need.

No doubt, a succinct summary of the typical WINZ client living off my taxes redistributed by Liarbour to the 'needy'.

Should have been locked up, not given a soft sentence.

Defending the indefensible

While Mr Pizzini is probably correct, the outrage over Varinder Singh being arrested is symptomatic of a deeper issue.

Whilst I suspect Varinder's reaction may have been OTT, the general feeling is that it was well justified, earning the unspoken praise of communities country wide. Hence the outrage when he was arrested. He had the scrotes in his hand, they were dealt to there and then. In self defence? Unfortunately I suspect not and he will pay dearly for that.

Mr Pizzini, whilst saying what we know should occur is wearing the flak of all communities that have had enough. Enough of violent drug fuelled crime. Zero tolerance for crime is the only way to go. Enough of a government that has done nothing but politicise the force and still spins that crime is reduced.

People have stopped reporting crime. Nothing gets done. There is no reaction from Mr Plod, might as well call 0800 Taxi. Well communities have had a gutsful and Friday's efforts are the reaction. Until Mr Plod is fully staffed and funded to do the job, such reactions will continue.

Note to the next government: Do something immediate about the crime - ZERO tolerance. A good starting place for immediate effect would be fining the 200 thousand plus that think they can flout electoral laws. Followed by jailing the current corrupt government.

And why don't they refer to the policeman by his rank as a Det Sen Sgt? A Mr is a nobody, a Det Sen Sgt is someone that should garner some respect.

And I think, probably like most, Varinder should get a medal.

Cash cropping good business

"It was only for personal use, Orificer".

Great cash business, if you don't get captured. Unfortunately some of your customers might tell Mr Plod.

But 'life changing' home detention?

Veitch broke her back

Not man enough to admit it, he has gone to ground. This will not go away, you will have to face the music.

I wonder how much his two other dickhead mates on GOTH know and have kept quiet. How long before we see a public disclaimer from those two when their income stream abruptly ceases?

Criminally tragic.

Update:

He has admitted the assault years after the event.

Damage minimisation by any other name. Too late to be called anything else.

Police dogs to wear PC bootees

After having to apologise over the recent anti-crime poster where Lassie had been calling Allah, Mr Plod in the UK now has to fit Lassie with special PC bootees prior to searching certain premises.

I kid you not.

Some comments.

Of all the religions, only one causes problems, day in, day out.

If Islam is so great and superior, why did so many muslims move from the Islamic world to countries run by 'Infidels'?

These medieval religious mantras imposed by Islam are becoming increasingly ridiculous.

One does wonder why the kuffa West attracts them so?

All I can say is, you poor fools.This is indeed Labour madness. It has not quite reached New Zealand yet, but we are doing our best.

Yes, indeed.

Hers indoors going for greater clarity

Electronic monitoring on bail has been going for some time with reasonable success, but we're going to put it on a statutory footing to give it greater clarity

Greater clarity? Reasonable success - on what measure?

What part of 'criminals should be locked up' do you not understand?

Take off the rose coloured spectacles and you might see what Joe Public is seeing.

Free self-defence course

Oswald lays out the basics in self-defence 101 and also looks at how to keep your powder dry for the day when Mr Scrote comes calling for you or your valuables in your corner dairy.

Must get an extinguisher or three...

New prison?

If that is the cost of getting crims out of our communities, so be it. At least the Nats are being upfront about it, not like the incumbents who have installed criminals in places like the Milton Hilton.

Later this year, a few more beds will be needed to house the 120 crims currently holding the reins and their associates.

There is simply not enough space to lock up all that should be in one.

For example, home detention for this child abuser should not be an option.

One in South Auckland should solve the problem. Maybe out West? Whenuapai has acres of spare runway for 'affordable' housing. No fear of rising damp or taniwhas, the basepad is already concrete.