APEC: Sydney, you ain't seen nothin' yet...

7 August 2007 Lauren Parle writes:

We’re still a month away from the APEC summit, but disgruntled Sydney residents have so far tolerated the noise of Black Hawks passing over the city, had their Lord Mayor encourage everyone pack emergency 'go-bags' complete with radios and energy bars and had their hospital services cut back.

But it’s only just begun. Business owners have been the first to suffer. Cement barriers have been erected in the CBD, blocking access from the roads for many stores. And although Friday September 7 has been declared a public holiday, a number of cafes and restaurants will remain open over the long weekend.

It's not just businesses that have to remain tolerant. Sydney residents and tourists have been advised to take public transport and avoid driving as frequent delays between the airport and the city are to be expected. Under the APEC Meeting (Police Powers) Act, officers will have increased security powers for the period allowing them to search anyone passing through an APEC declared area.

Prime Minister John Howard has denied claims that the city will be “locked down” during the meeting but acknowledges that there will be a “heavy security presence”.

The early meetings are scheduled to begin on September 2 with the 21 member APEC leaders’ meeting beginning on September 8.

Security measures being taken for the APEC summit:

* Jets will patrol a restricted area within a 45-nautical-mile radius of Kingsford Smith Airport and all other flights set to travel through the area will be required to pre-register and obtain approval.

* People on elective surgery lists in hospitals including Prince of Wales and Royal Price Alfred have had their appointments postponed to free up resources.

* Concrete fences have been used to fence restricted areas of the Sydney Opera House, Exhibition and Convention Centre and the Government House.

* The Australian Defence Force announced that around 1500 personnel, Black Hawk helicopters, F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets, a special task group and Navy ships will be released for the event.

* A video featuring the Maritime Union of Australia protesting against Work Choices as part of a montage of ‘violent’ protesters has been shown as part of police training for the summit.

* Circular Quay, Museum and St James train stations will be closed for three days and moved to Elizabeth Street.

* For those planning to visit the city, delays and random police searches are said to be expected.

* NSW Premier Morris Iemma announced that temporary legislation would be put into force to increase police powers over the duration of the summit.

* Rumours of a 2.8m high concrete "ring of steel" to be built around the CBD have been circulating, alarming business owners.

* A $600 000 water cannon has been purchased by the police to be used against violent protesters.

* The NSW Police Minister has announced that taser guns, not capsicum spray, will be carried by riot police for crowd control.

Indigenous advocate criticises move-on powers

Last Update: Friday, April 27, 2007. 7:32am (AEST)

The Aboriginal Justice Advocacy Committee is angry about a new Northern Territory policing strategy.

Police are being trained for what is called the new Social Order Crime Reduction Strategy.

Under the plan, officers on the beat will move people on more regularly in an attempt to avoid situations escalating into violence or anti-social behaviour.

The advocacy group's Chris Howse says the Government should be addressing the reasons people are on the street instead.

"This committee is sick and tired of hearing about such policies as so-called proactive policing in the Alice Springs area that will result in people getting locked up and families being split apart when the overall problem is neglected gravely by governments and councils," he said.

Hard line on youth crims floated

By MARTIN KAY - The Dominion Post | Tuesday, 17 April 2007

The age of criminal prosecution could be lowered to 12 for serious and repeat offenders as the Government floats suggestions of a harder line.

The most serious young offenders could also face longer custodial and supervision sentences and be subjected to home detention and electronically monitored parole.

This follows calls from many youth justice professionals for tougher measures against those who persistently break the law or have underlying drug or alcohol problems.

The suggestions are included in a Social Development Ministry discussion document on the 1989 Children, Young Persons and their Families Act.

The ministry stressed the document was not government policy, but the paper notes widespread concern about "a small number" of children under 14 who are falling into "sustained patterns of offending".

The age of criminal responsibility is 10, but at present children under 14 can be prosecuted only for murder or manslaughter.

The discussion document says there is widespread support for the present system, but also concern that a tougher line is needed for children of 12 and 13 who consistently offend.

The suggestions were based on consultation with people including the principal judges of the Youth and Family courts, the children's commissioner and youth justice workers.

Suggested changes include lowering the age of criminal prosecution to 12 for persistent and serious offenders, allowing them to be dealt with in the Youth Court, which can make a greater range of orders.

There was also a suggestion to allow purely indictable offences - such as rape, arson and supply of class A drugs - committed by 12 and 13-year-olds to be dealt with in the Youth Court, rather than the Family Court.

The document says the Government is already investigating increasing the period of youth justice custody for 14 to 16-year-olds from three months to six, with a further six months' supervision and possible electronic parole for those released early.

It is also considering increasing non-custodial supervision orders from three to six months, with six months' monitoring.

Home detention could also be an option.

Any move to allow 12-year-olds to be prosecuted for crimes other than murder and manslaughter would be a direction change for the Government, which has consistently argued that youth crime rates are stable and resisted calls for tougher measures.

Though Labour allowed a bill from NZ First MP Ron Mark to lower the age of prosecution to 12 to go a select committee, its support is not guaranteed further.

Mr Mark said yesterday that the discussion document flew in the face of criticisms of his bill.

"This is the final admission of two things. One, youth crime is a serious problem - recidivist serious youth crime is a huge and growing problem - and the systems that they've been running for the last 30 years that they've hailed as leading the world are fundamentally flawed."

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4028360a10.html

Maori youth offending

Paper Addressing Some Introductory Issues By
His Honour Judge A J Becroft
Principal Youth Court Judge
Te Kaiwhakawa Matua o Te Kooti Taiohi

8-10 November 2005, Nelson

I. Introduction ¹

Maori youth offenders make up around 50% of all youth offenders but in some Youth Courts the figure is as high as 80% or 90% - despite Maori encompassing only about a quarter of the New Zealand population under 17 years of age.² This situation is deeply concerning to everyone involved in youth justice.

Of further concern is problematic research into the experiences of young Maori within the criminal justice system. This research published by the Ministry of Social Development reveals that young Maori are more likely than other racial groups to receive severe outcomes such as orders for supervision either in the community or a youth justice residence. Researchers concluded these more severe outcomes were due to "increased vigilance" by the public and the police with regard to Maori youth. Further, Maori youth are more likely to be dealt with in the Youth Court, where more severe sentences are meted out, than by Family Group Conference.³ These more severe outcomes may result from Maori being brought to the attention of the youth justice system more frequently.

This raises the question of whether our legal system demonstrates a "systemic bias" against Maori young people. Weatherburn, Fitzgerald and Hua (2003) argue, in relation to Australia, that although systemic bias has existed historically in the Australian criminal justice system, the fact that a high percentage of Aboriginal people are in custody is simply due to the fact that relatively more Aboriginal people commit crime, especially more serious crime.⁴ Weatherburn et al argue that responses to the 1991 Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody have tended to focus on changing Police and Court processes rather than attacking underlying societal and economic causes of crime.

http://www.police.govt.nz/events/2005/ngakia-kia-puawai/becroft-on-maori-youth-offending.html

Dealers sell with cops nearby

By MELANIE LOUDEN - Manukau Courier | Wednesday, 28 March 2007

Some drug dealers are so desperate to make money they're letting their customers buy from tinny houses knowing the police are watching.

That's one of the shock findings police have come across in Operation Buyer Beware, a blitz on people buying cannabis in Otara.

Counties Manukau police eastern area tactical coordinator senior sergeant Karyn Malthus says the buyers are brazen and the dealers often let their customers buy drugs knowing police are watching.

"Dealers are tending to send a lot of people away saying the police are down the road," Ms Malthus says.

But some, desperate to make money, have started making sales again.

"They are letting their buyers get caught."

This is one of a number of surprising discoveries made as part of the operation.

"I'm finding it relatively informative. I imagine the community would find it rather shocking," Ms Malthus says.

Between March 8 and 19 police made 24 arrests. Thirteen of them were made over seven days.

Of the 13 people arrested, the youngest buyer was a 17-year-old from an east Auckland high school and the oldest was 55. Five had previous convictions.

Ms Malthus says one tinny house has been closed after Housing New Zealand evicted the tenants.

Housing New Zealand told police that in the space of an hour, while they were there dealing with the eviction, about 20 people turned up wanting to buy drugs.

"That also happens quite often when we are executing search warrants," Ms Malthus says.

It is startling just how many buyers are people who work with machinery, she says.

Among those arrested were a cabinetmaker, plant technician, locomotive engineer, kitchenhand, fitter and turner, panelbeater, storeperson and factory worker. Three were unemployed.

Two were high school students, and one of them was buying cannabis during school time.

Three of the 13 buyers live in the Counties Manukau east policing area - Otara, Meadowbank and Botany Downs.

The rest had come from Papatoetoe, Manurewa, Manukau, Auckland city, Papakura and Tauranga.

They face charges relating to the possession of drugs and vehicles being used in the commission of a crime.

Operation House of Cards started on Wednesday. It sees the details of gang bosses and specific gang members pictured on a deck of cards.

The cards have been given out to police officers trying to find the offenders.

Green MP Nandor Tancoz says police would be overstepping the mark if they gave employers the names of people they bust buying cannabis.

South Auckland police have this month arrested more than 50 people allegedly buying from tinnie houses in Otara.

Mr Tanczos says the police role is to prosecute people who break the law, and informing employers is not part of the job.

“Where's it going to stop? Are they going to start looking at who buys a beer from the pub so they can inform employers? It’s just well beyond their responsibilities as police officer and for my mind, if they spent more time investigating real offences, crimes of violence and crimes of theft, they wouldn’t have any time to be going to talk to employers about someone who might have bought a tinny one day,” Mr Tanczos says.

He says research shows Maori are seven times more likely to be charged with possession of marijuana than non Maori

WHANAU CRIME FIGHTING ROLE SOUGHT

One of the country’s top Maori policemen is challenging Maori families to take more responsibility for whanau members who get in trouble with the law.

Superintendent Viv Rickard, the Waitemata District commander, says the small percentage of Maori involved in crime need their whanau to show them another way.

Mr Rickard says Maori support systems should kick in before it's too late.

“Some people aren’t taking individual responsibility, and it’s everyone else’s fault. Well, I know people have had some bad starts, but as family, Maori, we’re fantastic about getting around people when they die. It’s when they’re alive that I actually want us to get around our young people,” Mr Rickard says.

He says there is little to be gained from blaming the government or the system if relations break the law.