Christchurch police are asking employers and recruitment companies to write job contracts which provide for workers on the region's quake rebuild to be sacked if they commit a crime.
Police are also asking the people hiring workers to carry out thorough background checks on employees to make sure they are not inadvertently bringing offenders into the region.
Inspector Dave Laurie - who headed police operations during the search and rescue effort at the CTV building - says the young men being recruited for the rebuild are a demographic group disproportionately represented in crime statistics.
Employers and recruiters have a duty of care not to bring anyone into the city who could cause further victimise locals, he says.
Mr Laurie wants job contracts to include include clauses providing for workers to be fired if they commit a crime.
A key concern is to make sure earthquake-hit Cantabrians avoid any further stress and strain, he says.
