One Year - Law and Order
New Zealanders should always feel safe in their communities, and in our first year in Government we have been working hard to restore law and order. We are delivering more frontline police, cracking down on gangs, and changing sentencing laws to ensure criminals face tougher consequences for their crimes.
Cracking down on gangs
Our new gang legislation came into effect in November, including:
- Banning gang insignia.
- Allowing Police to issue dispersal notices, requiring gang members to leave locations where they are gathering.
- Enabling courts to impose non-consorting orders, preventing specified gang offenders from communicating with one another for up to three years.
These changes provide Police with the tools they need to crack down on gangs, drawing on proven approaches from Australia.
Sentencing reforms
To ensure justice for victims and accountability for offenders, we’re reforming sentencing law by:
- Capping sentence reductions at 40% to prevent unduly light sentences, while maintaining judicial discretion to ensure fairness.
- Introducing aggravating factors which can lead to a more severe sentence to address crimes against vulnerable workers, livestreamed offences, and the exploitation of young people.
- Preventing repeat use of sentence discounts for youth and remorse.
- Encouraging cumulative sentencing for offences committed while on bail, in custody, or on parole to discourage reoffending.
More frontline cops on the beat
We back our Police, which is why we are providing them with more tools and resources to crack down on crime, including;
- Deploying 500 additional frontline officers by the end of 2025.
- Expanding community beat teams with 160 additional officers dedicated to patrolling our streets and improving public safety.
Investing in Corrections
Budget 2024 provided $1.9 billion to:
- Extend Waikeria Prison by 810 beds, ensuring the system can meet demand.
- Recruit more frontline staff and increase pay for Corrections employees.
- Expand rehabilitation programs to help reduce reoffending.
Tackling serious youth offending
This year, we introduced the Young Serious Offender declaration to address serious repeat offending by young people. Young serious offenders may now face:
- Placement in military-style academies as part of their rehabilitation.
- Enhanced electronic and judicial monitoring to prevent reoffending.
- Arrest without warrant for breaches of bail or non-compliance with court orders.
A safer future for all
We’ve set targets to track improvement and drive progress. Our key law and order targets to be delivered will:
- Ensure 20,000 fewer people are victims of assault, robbery or sexual assault.
- Reduce child and youth offending by 15%.
We’re working hard to make sure New Zealanders can live, work, and thrive in safe and secure communities.