Murders. There have been a lot of them recently in New Zealand. Shootings, stabbings, violent deaths with un-named weapons and reports of murder cases where the perps got off scot free. According to a report in the NZ Herald
Dramatic spike in violent crime over the past four weeks ties up police resources
Police have launched 13 homicide inquiries after a dramatic spike in violent crimes in the past month.
From Kaitaia in the Far North to Oamaru in Otago, there have been 10 suspected murders or manslaughters. Inquiries into three cold cases have also been launched.
Four suspected murders in three days have called on the resources of more than 100 police officers across the country…
Police Association president Greg O’Connor said homicides had a huge impact on police workloads.
It was highly unusual for a spate of murders to occur in September, he said, and police didn’t have specialist murder squads so officers from other squads were drafted in…
We’ve not been keeping tabs on exactly how many murders there have been in New Zealand this year, a simple tally of all that personal grief and tragedy does no honour to the victims. You can go to the murder map on the Sensible Sentencing Trust’s website if you want to know details. Here’s the link www.safe-nz.org.nz/murdermap.htm
One in two New Zealanders are a member of Trademe.co.nz, owned by Fairfax media. The locals on iIts message message boards are a well known barometer of public opinion in New Zealand any they have also noticed the shocking rise in the number of murders happening “nearly every day.” Here’s what they’ve been saying (personal details redacted)
Think about it, that latest poster has got a point.
If the criminal justice system fails the family of people like Charanpreet Singh Dhaliwal, when police were powerless to intervene in the death of Navtej Singh, when courier drivers and other innocent road users die in armed chases and when traffic signalmen, farmers and toddlers get gunned down is the simple truth that violent crime is out of control in New Zealand and law enforcement is stretched to breaking point?
Going to New Zealand because you think it is safer Or maybe you’re a police officer looking for a lifestyle change? You may also be interested in this article published by the news site Stuff.co.nz the day after the above post was made
Cops are leaving the Bay in droves
“Hawke’s Bay police are leaving in droves amid claims of a “draconian climate” after a regional restructure.
More than 20 officers have left since the Napier and Hastings areas merged into one Hawke’s Bay unit under Inspector Tania Kura in August last year…
One officer who has quit labelled it the most “unsavoury and draconian climate” he had ever worked in. Another senior officer said people weren’t opposed to the changes but rather how people were being treated.
“You used to be treated like an individual but under the new management you’re just a number.”
Kura’s management style was unpopular, with more officers turning up just “to get their pay and keep their head down”, he said…
A logical person may question whether low moral is affecting performance and retention rates.
Former constable Brendon Berkett feels let down by management after a firearm was pointed in his face.
He did not know he was staring down the barrel of a fake gun during the incident at the Hastings police station.
Berkett was so traumatised he suffered flashbacks and had taken stress leave. He said it took human relations at least a week to ask about his well-being.
Disappointed by what he felt was a lack of management support, he resigned. “No one seemed interested in why I was resigning.” Read the full article here
More about Trademe.co.nz from Wikipedia editors
Trade Me’s website is the most visited in New Zealand before Google New Zealand, and is ranked 1,213th globally according to Alexa Internet. As of 2006, the group of sites collectively generate over 60% of all web traffic originating in New Zealand. In a country with a population around 4,177,000, the Trade Me site currently has around 2,391,752 active members, with approximately 70,000 people online and 1,390,000 auctions running during peak hours.
Other NZ headlines today
Rangiora man’s death a ‘whodoneit’
E2NZ.org 