Written By:
notices and features - Date published:
2:36 pm, July 14th, 2014 - 32 comments
Categories: crime, Judith Collins, police -
Tags: jacinda ardern, polity
Reposted from Polity.
Last week, new information became public about potential stat-juking by our Police. The practice of reclassifying hundreds of “burglaries”, which appear in the crime statistics, as “incidents”, which do not, has the effect of artificially reducing the apparent crime rate. This practice occurred mainly in the Counties-Manukau police district, which operates in the electorate of then-Police Minister Judith Collins. That is, of course, troubling on a number of levels.
Further, we learn that the Minister has been aware of this issue since 2011, and told no-one and did nothing. She even retains on her website a National Party local newsletter from that time hailing the big reduction in crime in the area:
Crime down in Counties-Manukau South
Increased pressure on criminals and a greater focus on crime prevention has shown the fight against crime can be won with a well-supported and well resourced Police service.
The 2011 Crime Statistics released this week indicate reported crime is down 15 percent in the Counties-Manukau South District, which includes Papakura and Pukekohe, during the fiscal year ended 30 June 2011.
Theft, fraud and harassment offences were all down and the number of burglaries in our area has dropped 36.7 percent.
A Minister of the Crown has a duty to the public to ensure that information about crime in their area is accurate. Even more so when that information comes form the Minister’s own patch. Collins’ failure to investigate is yet another strike against her political judgment.
And today, her bullying instinct came to the fore again as she cried victim, saying the leak of the information was politically motivated and pointing the figure at Labour’s Jacinda Ardern. Collins claimed to be “disgusted” at Ardern’s behaviour. Two points here:
This morning Judith Collins said categorically that there was no political pressure being placed on Police in terms of reported crime numbers. That is not true. Here is an info graphic from National’s website showing the reduction-in-reported-crime target the government has put over the police.
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That’s how she came by the idea that Ministerial corruption could be downgraded to a cup of tea.
Brilliant OAB !
100+ North @1.1 re OAB
Judetrout has no duty to the New Zealand public, only duty to #TeamKey!!!
She is the victim in this?
Well I guess because all those cases are not burglaries according to the files, all those people that had items vanish magically are not victims of crime so someone has to be the victim in this. They have had everything else taken from them, why not let her steal their victim status from them also!
#TeamShonkey
Blubber boy (even his username screams death to the environment) is now reaching back to 2005 using unsubstantiated sources to discredit the legitimate questioning of this National government. Goat shooting Cameroon Slater is now posting false, made-up, emails from phantom policemen via his “tip-line” as evidence. Now, if anything is disgusting, that is.
another day in paradise.
a further example of the banal and lowbrow culture in the National party and their approach to politics.
its time to turn these rascals out and elect a government that believes in honesty and fairness.
Thatcher replicant BullyWomanCollins obviously doesn’t understand how counter-productive is her ‘Poor me the victim…..’ gig.
It’s a delightful and ubiquitous human response to enjoy seeing the bully brought down. The bully then snivelling can only sharpen that response. In the style of “Ha! Good job !”
Thereafter the bully is not just a bully, but a sniveller as well. The malodourousness of that combo promotes enduring dislike. Were she capable of ever genuinely saying sorry………but no. As she imperiously said at some stage in the Oravida debacle – “I don’t apologise…..” or some such.
It just gets worse for this crazy woman. Ha ! Good job !
PS – What was the Herald thinking ? Her photograph accompanying the dodgy police crime figures piece is quintessentially ‘hectoring-bully-comin’-right-at-ya’. Scary malevolence defined. Perhaps forces within the National Party have consulted Crosby Fukd’er.
Jacinda Ardern has got to stand up to bully girl Collins over this one. Collins is attempting to make it look like Jacinda started the story for political gain when it was the HOS who broke it. Jacinda was rung by the media and asked for a response and she gave them one.
Don’t let her get away with it Jacinda. Give it back to her. It’s what she deserves.
+1
Jacinda, the only way to deal with bullies is to stand up to them IMMEDIATELY.
You are in the ring with the worst bully in NZ politics. Stomp her or you’re finished.
Bullies always claim the victim status. Its time people woke up to this Minister, she is plain nasty.
Unfortunately, some people love it, which is why Jacinda needs to hit back hard and fast.
+1
One of the things I miss from my security days was the faux indignation of the perpetrator caught redhanded. Usually followed by a similar look to what banksie had in the dock when the judge’s decision was announced.
Test
[Sorry Weepu the machine does not like you and keeps putting you in moderation … MS]
[lprent: He was running a test. I suspect the ‘ in his handle. So this would have been the first comment with a different handle. The next one with this handle is the test. ]
Been in touch with Lprent to try get a solution. This is the second part of the test.
[lprent: Did it work? Did this one go through immediately? I didn’t release either. ]
I think old “Jude” should wake up to herself and realise that the public (especially those who have been robbed) are indignant that she knew about the report and DID NOTHING – it profited her and the Natz Government to do ZILCH! Ms Collins has overdone her hubris this time, the same way she overdoes plucking the inner part of her eyebrows! Extreme!!!
That image of Collins would be a great pic for the cover of a crime novel.
Well it’s not her response to crime but to being questioned.
Collins seems to embody the old Gestapo trope ‘we ask the questions’.
2009 to 2012 is “historical” , so where was her outrage at a 2003 letter used against cunliffe?
the cabinet manual says she must behave to “highest ethical standards” … and she is our highest representative for justice in NZ
There are 12 Policing Districts in NZ. The numbers from Counties Manakau don’t seem a lot but if each district manipulated their figures by 1% they are close to achieving the governments goal on a national basis.
Actually, no. If each one changed figures by 1% it would still mean it was 1% overall difference, not 12%. And the target graphic referred to overall crime anyway, so changing the coding for a crime wouldn’t affect the overall crime stats, but it would affect the different ratios between burglary and theft.
Ah – the McCully excuse. ‘It wouldn’t have been right for me to interfere in an operational matter …’
I wish ‘Team Key’ would list them. If people would wake up to the fact they’re voting for Collins, Parata, McCully, Brownlee etc and not just the genial, superficially charming Key, I suspect votes would drop off dramatically for National.
Oh Pip, you don’t know how numbers work do you m’dear?
So crusher collins knew the stats were false …………… but still used them for political ends in claiming what a great job she was doing as police minister at the time.
Why does this not surprise me in the least.
‘
Following up on the Murray McCully tactic of “blame the public servant”, Judith Collins has defended her actions in remaining silent and repeating the cooked up statistics on the basis that it was an error by staff and there was nothing she could do about it. Meanwhile, neither Judith Collins when she was Minister for Police nor her replacement Anne Tolley have shown no leadership or concern about the criminal activities of the New Zealand Police since the John Key led Natoinal Ltd™ government came into office. The list of crimes includes . . .
. . . but wait, there’s more
. . .
BLiP – your list is remarkable. Truly a ‘star of the left’. The Opposition needs to copy this list and shove it right up NACT’s nose. + 100%
This matter of tweaking the numbers made the mainstream news this morning on RNZ.
The Police do themselves no favours when they bow to political pressure to put a gloss on things.
In general kiwis believe in the honesty of the police but when rogue cops try to grease up the minister then their star begins to fade.
But wait there is more.
The tories tell lies about everything.
They hate the truth.
Their philosophy is to weaken the public discourse and confabulate everything so nobody can discern the truth and make proper decisions.
I had to laugh at Collins’ description of what had happened as an “isolated event”. It was an isolated event that occurred 700 times and involved five police officers …
Standard Police procedure there Micky. For example ” the Gentleman in question feel down 700 times, it was worrying and in the end we took him to hospital.” OK OK made up – but wait we can all make up shit now – I love Crusher see has set the bar so low, any old lie will pass the mustard these days.
…when rogue cops try to grease up the minister then their star begins to fade.
A sign of integrity, or simple reflexive territory protection?
Will I need to stock up on popcorn?