Parminder Singh Photo: Supplied
Indian community leaders continue to express disappointment at the government's efforts to restore law and order despite a flurry of recent announcements that seek to lay the foundation for a tougher response on crime.
On 16 September, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon outlined several changes to the 2002 Sentencing Act.
On 18 September, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith confirmed the members of the ministerial advisory group on retail crime.
Prithi Pal Singh Basra Photo:
"All of us understand that changes won't happen overnight, but the government has been in place for just under a year now and the Indian community is still waiting to see any tangible results on the ground," said Prithi Pal Singh Basra, chairperson of the New Zealand Central Sikh Association.
"While we can say the trend is certainly in the right direction and there has been some progress, it's very slow and definitely not enough."
The government acknowledged as much in its latest quarterly report last week, noting that around 30,000 had reported violent crime as of June - a significant increase from the target of 20,000 fewer people.
The same report showed the government had also failed in its bid to reduce child and youth offending by 15 percent over the same period.
Jagjeet Sidhu, general secretary of the Auckland Indian Retailers Association, did not support the proposed changes to the Sentencing Act.
"While we appreciate the efforts towards reducing crime, the government also needs to see the wider picture and root causes of crime faced by our community," Sidhu said.
The Auckland Indian Retailers Association had submitted a petition to the government earlier in the year, calling for legislative changes "to deter and address young offenders' crime" nationwide.
The petition called for amendments in the Sentencing Act, Criminal Justice Act and Oranga Tamariki Act to allow authorities to arrest, detain in remand custody and punish young offenders under the age of 16.
"The relevant proposed changes to the Sentencing Act [preventing repeat discounts for youth and introducing new aggravating factors in serious retail crime] doesn't match our demands much, and are only a minor initiative towards it," Sidhu said.
Parminder Singh, district advisor for New Zealand Police (Counties Manukau), expressed similar sentiments.
"Immediate and evidence-driven strategies are the need of the hour, instead of the current slow progress," Singh said.
"All the aggravating factors in sentencing, such as when a retail crime targets a sole-charge business, are already well established in the decision-making process of New Zealand courts.
"So, the changes announced are nothing new or big. All we can say is these slight changes are a step in the right direction."
Narinder Singla Photo: Supplied
Narinder Singla, chairman of the Indian Association of New Zealand Manukau's crime group, agreed.
"In the last few years, our communities have been severely affected by violent retail crime due to the lack of serious consequences for offenders," Singla said. "Any changes in the sentencing laws are welcome. But do they go far enough is another matter.
"We want the government to clarify self-defence laws, remove age considerations for offenders of serious crimes, make front-line police staff responsible for preventing violent retail crime in their assigned areas and make offenders of serious crimes and their families ineligible for any government benefits.
"This will put pressure on parents to have a sense of responsibility for actions of their children."
Pressed about the community's growing frustration, Goldsmith reiterated government pledges to restore law and order.
"We're an ambitious government with an ambitious justice work programme," he said. "Just last week we introduced sentencing reforms into parliament, passed legislation that will give police extra tools to go after gangs, announced appointments to the ministerial advisory group for victims of retail crime, revealed potential changes to jury trials and announced more than $18 million will go towards supporting the victims of crime. These measures take time to move through the House and ... take effect.
"This government is committed to ensuring there are 20,000 fewer victims of serious violent crime by 2029, alongside a 15 percent reduction in serious repeat youth offending."
