Podcasts about police minister

Police Minister Senzo Mchunu is considering expanding the powers of metro police to tackle crime, focusing on copper theft, which has disrupted South Africa's economic centers. Metro police, typically responsible for traffic and by-law enforcement, could soon conduct routine inspections at second-hand dealers to ensure compliance with regulations. Elvis Presslin spoke to OUTA Chairperson Wayne Duvenage

Police Minister Mark Mitchell says told Mike Hosking that police bodycams would help clear up misconceptions in the field. He says he was talking to a young constable who was coward punched and a body camera would've made for compelling evidence. Police Commissioner Richard Chambers wants the cameras to be implemented after a decision was put off last year. Police are still looking into ways to deal with transparency issues laid bare when new tasers for frontline officers didn't include a camera. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was February 19, 2013. Maree Schafer was excited to start a hairdressing course at the Eastern Institute of Technology the next day. That night, three cars - a silver Holden Commodore, a blue Ford Falcon, and a grey Nissan Skyline were street racing near Napier. The Commodore continued through an intersection, going well over 180km/hour, when the driver lost control, slid sideways across the road, and crashed into a tree. There were three occupants in that car. One was 18-year-old Maree. She died at the scene. Twelve years later, and boy racer events are still happening. People are injured, cars totalled, police intimidated, and, people die. Just last month, riot police clashed with what the Police Minister’s called “cowardly, try-hard idiots” in Levin and Palmerston North – and police are preparing for more gatherings. Today on The Front Page, Coreen Schafer, Maree’s mother, tells us what she’d say to one of these kids, and what life is like after losing her daughter to street racing. Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network. Host: Chelsea DanielsSound Engineer/Producer: Richard MartinProducer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National Police Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola has committed to an additional five-thousand five hundred new recruits that are to join the South African Police Service. Masemola says advertisement for these new posts will start in June and adds that the new recruitment age limit has been increased from 30 to 35 years old. Masemola has been speaking in Pretoria alongside Police Minister, Senzo Mchunu on strategies to enhance service delivery within the SAPS. He also says they are targeting retired detectives to return to the SAPS on a contractual basis...

The select committee process has proven useful in substantially strengthening anti-stalking laws. Originally proposals on making it an offence had a maximum penalty of five years in prison, capturing three specified acts within one-year. But it'll now be triggered after two acts within two years. Labour's Police spokesperson Ginny Anderson told Mike Hosking it's an example of why the process is an important part of our democracy. She says it's been great to work collaboratively, to listen to submissions, to understand what Police can do and to make the changes to strengthen the law. Police Minister Mark Mitchell told Hosking that police take these things extremely seriously, and they now have the tools to be able to give a meaningful response. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Boy racers took over Levin and Palmerston North on Friday night, leaving seven injured and ten arrested. The meet-up brought together around 1,000 boy racers, becoming so chaotic that police were deployed in full riot gear. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Prime Minister, Police Commissioner and Police Minister have all been forced to hose down concerns over an internal police memo directing officers not to investigate crimes under a certain value. The nationwide internal directive, made public by RNZ, set the cut off for petrol drive off at $150, $500 for shoplifting and $1000 for fraud, including online scams. The instruction was to file those cases regardless of lines of inquiry or solvability. Police Minister Mark Mitchell spoke to Lisa Owen.

The Police Minister expects the Commissioner to continue to tackle retail crime. Police staff have been directed to not further investigate theft below $200, petrol drive-offs below $150, shoplifting under $500, and online fraud below $1000 dollars. But Mark Mitchell is promising retailers officers will always turn up when they have the resources. Newstalk ZB political editor Jason Walls explains why Mark Mitchell needed to clear this up. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Police Minister is attempting to clarify the meaning of a memo to staff on lower-value retail crime cases. The nation-wide directive told staff not to investigate shoplifting worth less than $500 dollars - and less significant petrol, online and retail theft. Mark Mitchell says that's not explicitly what the memo intended. He's promised police will respond to crime, and says the directive should have been worded better. "And it could have been much clearer in the way it was written - it did create some confusion, I totally understand and get that." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Don't sweat the small stuff.” That's the message cops have been given about shoplifting. And the powers-that-be can say as much as they like about their memo to staff about only bothering with shoplifting worth more than $500 not being worded as well as it could have been, but the message is very clear. You steal stuff worth less than $500 and you're going to get off scot-free. If I was a retailer, I'd be really brassed off. I'd be brassed off with the cops and I'd be brassed off with the Police Minister, who is no longer doing interviews about retail crime, apparently. This is the guy who made a career out of sending off media releases every time there was a ram raid. This is the guy who promised the crims would be scared of him and his coalition government, because the free ride for crims was about to end. This is the Mark Mitchell who said this two years ago, when he was in Opposition: “While retail crime incidents have more than doubled since 2018, fewer offenders are being held accountable for their actions. Despite an enormous spike in retail offending under Labour, the number of convictions for this type of offending have decreased. “Staggeringly, this drop in convictions coincides with skyrocketing incidents of retail crime. Offenders are simply not being held to account by a Labour government which has been nothing except soft on crime.” So if I was a retailer, I'd be angry. I'd also be very worried. In fact, even if I worked in retail —not necessarily owned a shop, but worked in a shop on the daily— I'd be worried. Because I'd know that even if I saw someone nicking stuff and I called them out on it, they'd just tell me to go to hell. “What're you gonna do? Call the cops?” Sunny Kaushal, who used to run the Dairy & Business Owners Group and now chairs the Government's advisory group on retail crime, says other countries have taken this approach and it's gone very badly. Quite rightly, he says that it “emboldens” criminals. Makes them even more brazen, because they know nothing's going to happen. Which is why —if I was someone who likes to go into shops and help myself to stuff— I'd be very happy. Because the police writing this stuff down and it getting out means retail criminals have a licence to do what they want. They can go into your local supermarket and walk out the door with $490 worth of groceries. You picture $490 worth of groceries in a trolley at Pak n Save and someone walking out the door without paying, knowing the police won't be coming anytime soon. Pretty much flipping the bird at anyone who tries to stop them. Now I'm realistic and I know, just like you do, that the chance of the police turning up is less likely than it used to be. And yes, they've probably always had a cut-off point where they decide something's too small fry to investigate. Which is fine, but, making it an explicit instruction or suggestion not to investigate unless the stuff nicked is worth more than $500, is a major cock-up by the police. And I don't know if there's any coming back from it. Because, even if the Police Minister showed some fortitude and told the police to ditch this approach to retail crime, we know that even then the likelihood of the police getting involved in this lower-level retail crime would be pretty low. Because they just don't have the resources. Which tells me that, despite tough talking from politicians, the battle against retail crime is a losing battle. And if it's not a losing battle, it's a battle we've already lost. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Retail New Zealand wants an urgent meeting with the police minister over concerns retail crimes under a certain value may not not be investigated. Checkpoint has seen a police directive to staff that said they will no longer be investigating allegations of shoplifting below $500, petrol drive-offs below $150, and online frauds below $1000 regardless of lines of inquiry as part of a new nationwide directive. Police director of Service Superintendent Blair Macdonald spoke to Lisa Owen.

Retailers are seeking clarity on a Police directive on shoplifting. RNZ reports police staff have been told to not investigate allegations of theft below $500. Police may not take further action if the reports don't have enough evidence, such as CCTV. Chair of the Ministry of Justice's Retail Crime Advisory Group Sunny Kaushal told Mike Hosking retailers are concerned. He says similar policies have already failed in America and the UK, where gangs of shoplifters exploit them to make illegal gains without consequences. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I totally understand that retailers want an urgent meeting with the Police Minister. This is over the revelation that police aren't bothering to investigate shoplifting below $500 bucks anymore. They're clearly worried, because what's happened is there's been a revelation from a memo that was sent to police staff a couple of months ago, saying that from now on, across all districts, cops will no longer investigate theft and fraud below a certain value. General theft - anything below $200, not investigating. Petrol drive-offs - anything below $150, not investigating. Shoplifting - anything below $500, not investigating. Fraud - as in paywave fraud, online fraud, scams, anything below $1000 and then all other fraud - anything below $500, cops aren't turning up. And that is, by the way, regardless of whether you have lines of inquiry. So even if you know who nicked the stuff, even if you can tell them where the stuff is, they're not going to investigate. Now, it's totally understandable for retailers to want an urgent meeting on this, because this has probably come as something of a shock. But also, this is the reality, isn't it? There are not enough police to deal with all the crime in the country. We know that. It's not really even a total surprise when you think about how many stories you've heard about people who go to the police, tell the police exactly where the bike is, where the police can go and find it because it's been nicked, and the police won't go and get it. But, this is gonna be a problem, isn't it? When the thieves start finding out about this stuff - cause they may be criminals, but they're not always stupid - they know what they can get away with scot-free. And that is why so many of them just ended up brazenly pushing those loaded trolleys out of the supermarkets for a while there, cause they knew nothing was gonna happen to them. I suspect the same thing is gonna happen once they figure out what the thresholds are here. And if this is the reality that we now live in, then I think the only solution to this is for the Government to get out of the way of retailers helping themselves. They need to let the supermarkets use that facial recognition technology they want to use, so they can stop people from coming in and committing the crime. They need to pass the citizen's arrests law to allow the retailers and the security guards themselves to stop the criminals getting away with this stuff. Because frankly, if the cops can't help - and clearly there aren't enough of them to help - then the retailers need the tools to be able to help themselves.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Police Minister is reassuring retailers officers will still turn up to reports of shoplifting. RNZ reports staff have been directed to not investigate retail crime below $500 and online fraud below $1000. Police may not take further action if the reports don't have enough evidence, such as CCTV. However, Mark Mitchell told Kerre Woodham every crime deserves a response. He says he wants to be clear that people can't go out and shoplift anything under the value of $500 – there will be a police response, especially if the offender is able to be identified. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Police Minister, Senzo Mchunu has dismissed claims of a white geneocide in South Africa. He was speaking during the SAPS fourth quartely crime statistics being delivered in Pretoria. Mchunu says although he respects the US president, Donald Trump, he has no respects of his false claims of a white genocide in South Africa...

Northland might be the meth capital of New Zealand, but Hawkes Bay wouldn't be far behind. One tiny town – Waipukurau - recorded the biggest increase in meth consumption in the country in 2024. It was up more than 300 percent. What concerns the local coppers is that the community staying schtum about who's supplying the drug as Inspector Martin James told 1News last night. “One of the key concerns for me here in Central Hawke's Bay is a lack of information that is coming through from the public to support us, there will be people within this community that know who are supplying this drug, this heinous drug, and we need them to come forward." Well, there might be people who know, but locals who have spoken to by 1News said they'd never seen any evidence that their town had such a huge meth problem. And I guess you wouldn't if you if you don't do meth, it you don't know people who do meth, then you're not going to see the problem. The police are depending on those who do know. And they might say there isn't a problem in their small town, but surely wastewater testing doesn't lie. The only reason I could think of that you'd see a spike like that would be perhaps a drug dealer has seen the light, had a road to Damascus moment and is going to turn over a new leaf and has flushed tens of thousands of dollars' worth of meth down the dunny over a period of weeks, but you know that is unlikely. This is just the latest call from police, iwi leaders and the Police Minister for the community to play its part in thwarting the gangs and the drug dealers and in saying no, you're not dealing here, not in our town, not to our people. They want the community to be proactive in terms of stopping meth, taking a hold in their communities, but how realistic is it to expect people to dob in their relatives or friends? It would be hard enough when you're an upstanding member of the community with no links to gangs to give police information that could lead to an arrest. You might be concerned about ramifications to your business or to your home or to your family. But imagine if the drug dealers and members of your very own family - you give information to the police that leads to a conviction for dealing, not possession, but dealing, you know that the person will be going inside for a very long time. You might hate the crime, but loved the crim. How do you reconcile helping the police with their inquiries with the knowledge that there could be an enormous impact on your own family member?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Following another dramatic police chase making the weekend headlines, the Afternoons team raise the question over whether it's okay to try and drive away from the authorities. One caller, Mike, opened up about his fleeting experience trying to get away from the police - and then he weighed in on the ethics of this idea. Later, Police Minister Mark Mitchell revealed he was listening - and revealed why you should comply and not try to flee from the cops. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Di McDonald was a victim of a stalker, who terrorised her and her family. She finally re-claimed her life with the help of former Victorian police officer Rebecca Norris. In this episode of Crime Insiders | Detectives, Brent Sanders talks to Di about how she overcame the fear and torment of her stalker and why she calls Beck Norris, her 'guardian angel'. Di went on to establish Stalking Awareness Day Australia - May 24. If you or someone you know is experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, domestic, family or sexual violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au for online chat and video call services.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Prime Minister, Police Minister Mark Mitchell and Police Commissioner Richard Chambers are not talking about the two investigations into police deputy commissioner Jevon McSkimming.

A former Police Minister says watching porn on a work computer is a pretty dumb thing to do. Deputy Police Commissioner Jevon McSkimming had been suspended on full-pay since December. He was under a criminal investigation by police on unrelated different allegations, the nature of which can't be reported. Our newsroom understands while investigating the original complaint, detectives allegedly discovered porn on one of his electronic work devices. Stuart Nash told Mike Hosking he struggles to understand McSkimming doing this. He says every bloke knows there are ways to watch porn without watching on your work computer. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Police Minister has expressed interest in locking up criminals for longer in a bid to cut down on reoffending. Criminals that serve five years or more in jail are generally less likely to reoffend, according to new reports. Mark Mitchell says he's asked Corrections to examine whether shorter sentences can be extended. "Longer sentences normally mean the people commit to their rehabilitation better, engage in more rehabilitation, and are therefore less risk to the community when they come out." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I don't know if you caught the story over the weekend - Ngāpuhi, the iwi of Northland, are calling for police to round up the drug dealers in Northland using the same strong tactics they used in drug raids on Ōpōtiki last year. You'll remember there was criticism of how the police dealt with some of the individuals in Ōpōtiki, mainly coming from the individuals and their families themselves. Now Ngāpuhi is saying bring it on. The leader of the country's largest iwi, Mane Tahere, said he asked the Police Minister for decisive action after recently seeing a group of youngsters smoking a meth pipe in broad daylight in the Main Street of Kaikohe, just down the road from the police station. As somebody who has been going to the Far North for the past eight or nine years, I've certainly seen a change for the worse in Kaihohe. There are tiny little fragile grass shoots of hope, but the meth is a huge problem there, an absolutely huge problem. Locals in Opononi stand outside the local dairy, the local shops on benefit day to try and stop the dealers from getting to the kids first. The community is trying to do what it can to stop the dealers getting a strong hold in the community, to try and thwart their attempts to get more young people hooked on the drug. But they are a tiny, tiny, tiny bastion against what is a multimillion-dollar business. The cold, harsh reality is that Northland has the highest consumption of methamphetamine in New Zealand. Nearly 2000milligrammes per day consumed per 1000 people. And Mane Tahere has said we are doing what we can as a community, as an iwi, as a people but we can't do it on our own and we need the police to step in. He said a crackdown isn't the solution to all problems in Northland but it's a major part. He knows he is calling down a whole heap of criticism on his head by asking the police to step in, but he says our hard, staunch kind of hate for the police is not the future. Compare his pragmatic, proactive hard line on drugs with the words of Green MP Tamatha Paul. You'll remember she criticised Wellington's beat patrols. She accused the police of rounding up the homeless, without providing any evidence other than the musings of a couple of street people themselves. She said some people felt less safe because of the police's presence. Right. This is a very bright young woman, Tamatha Paul has won numerous scholarships for academic excellence. She has graduated with the Masters in Resource and Environmental Planning. This is a very bright young woman talking to other very bright young people on a university campus, postulating and theorising and coming up with all sorts of grand plans about how a different world could look, and that's what you do at a university when you're young, when you're bright, when you've got all the answers, when you're at a peace action conference. You have the luxury of theorising. I would venture to suggest most of the young people there were just like Tamatha Paul. They may not have started in a world of privilege, but they've taken the opportunities offered to them, they've worked to realise a future for themselves. And that's a future that looks very, very different to the lives of the same young people in Kaikohe. The sort of people that Mane Tahere is trying to help every single day. He knows to combat the absolute evil of drugs, his people don't need to read another thesis on colonisation, Hauora and whenua in Aotearoa published in 2019, among many. He knows what they need are not the academics, but addiction and rehab specialists. They need to keep up that community involvement, that community fight against the drugs. And they desperately, desperately need police boots on the ground. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The leader of the country's largest iwi is calling for the police to crackdown on drug dealers and methamphetamine use in Northland. Ngāpuhi leader, Mane Tahere says he saw a group of youngsters smoking a meth pipe in daylight on the main street of Kaikohe - just down the road from the police station. He's met with Police Minister Mark Mitchell - asking authorities to use tactics similar to the drug raids carried out in Opotiki last year. Police Minister Mark Mitchell talks to Kerre Woodham about the issue. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Hawkes Bay has seen three shootings in 48 hours as gang conflicts heat up. A gang conflict warrant has been invoked 26 times since Thursday, leading to eight arrests. Police Minister Mark Mitchell talks to Mike Hosking about the conflict. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Document examiner Neil Holland has worked on documents related to investigations into alleged Nazi war criminals, accused killers and dodgy bookies, and resurrected the writing on a document found inside a corpse’s stomach. In 1985, when Neil was the head of the Victoria Police document examination branch, the National Gallery of Victoria made history - acquiring Pablo Picasso's The Weeping Woman. At $2 million, it was the most expensive artwork ever purchased by a gallery in Australia. Less than a year later, it was gone. Stolen in a daring heist that left police, the art world, and the media stunned. Eighteen days after the theft, Neil found himself in the back of a police van in the dead of night - cradling a brown paper package. Inside? The missing Picasso, taken hostage by a group calling themselves the Australian Cultural Terrorists. In this episode, he’s here to tell host Liz Porter the story.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Associate Police Minister remains confident the Government's 500-cop recruitment target can still be reached by November. Police bosses say they've been facing challenges. They say more trainees are failing training, and more people have been leaving the Police force. But Casey Costello told Mike Hosking there is still six months to go. She says taking a monthly snapshot doesn't provide a full picture and isn't helpful. Costello says the morale of the Police is good, which is contributing to strong interest in joining. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Justice and Police Minister says the Government's surpassed its own violent crime reduction target. It set a goal in March last year of having 20 thousand fewer victims of serious violent crime, with an initial 2029 deadline. It claims it's already beat the deadline, but admits the data is volatile and subject to change. Chief Victims Advisor Ruth Money told John MacDonald that although she's delighted by the figures, she's cautious in her celebrations since it's only quarterly data. But she says we do also need to acknowledge that there are a lot of crimes that aren't disclosed willingly, so these numbers, although encouraging, are volatile. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Police Minister says the patch ban for gangs has changed their behaviour, and made people feel safer. Gang laws are among policies the Government's crediting for surpassing its target for reducing violent crime victims - although it admits the data is volatile. NZ Herald political editor Thomas Coughlan says the Government will still need to prove if they can keep meeting these targets long-term. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Police Minister is rejecting claims the last Government can be thanked for reduced victim numbers. The Government claims there are 28,000 fewer victims of violent crimes since the last election - exceeding its goal of 20,000. It admits the numbers are from a survey spanning 24 months - including the last months of the Labour's rule. But Minister Mark Mitchell says Labour only made it worse. "We've definitely seen the numbers - and the police numbers starting to reduce. We've got a very different approach around public safety, we're putting victims first and I think we're staring to see the results of that." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Police Minister, Senzo Mchunu says he is happy with the outcomes of the National Policing Summit. The three-day summit was aimed at adapting policing strategies to a changing criminal landscape and enhancing crime-fighting methods. The summit saw delegates participating in robust engagements, providing candid feedback as well as constructive guidance in respect of the type of policing we should have in the country to effectively fight crime. Mchunu says necessary inclusive discussions were held....

Northland iwi are calling for government intervention to deal with what they say is an escalating crisis of methamphetamine use. Paddy Gower spoke to Minister for Police Mark Mitchell.

New Zealand faces significant obstacles to take down organised crime groups. A ministerial advisory group's first report reveals a sobering reality the country is losing the fight, and claims bold changes are needed. It says a significant spike in methamphetamine use last year was dire. Associate Police Minister Casey Costello told Andrew Dickens a series of reports will provide practical advice over the next six months. She says there will be specific actions released each month - including how agencies could work more closely together and breaking down barriers about information sharing. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The National Men's Forums of South Africa, alongside other organizations, will lead a mass shutdown in Matatiele this weekend. The protest aims to demand accountability from law enforcement amid rising cases of violence, rape, and abuse of women and children. This follows shocking reports of 7-year-old girls being raped. Meanwhile, the Police Minister will brief the nation today on the investigation into an alleged sexual assault case in Matatiele. For more on this Elvis Presslin spoke to Reverand Xolamzi Sam, 1st Deputy President of the National Men's Forums of South Africa

New police minister Reece Whitby has defended the government's approach to prohibiting rapid release firearms despite criticisms regarding the communication and rollout.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former Police Minister is declaring his support for a loosening of citizen's arrest laws. The Government is set to announce a retail crime strategy re-jig based on an advisory group's recommendations, which include making it easier for people to arrest others. Currently they can only occur at night between 9pm and 6am, for crimes with a maximum punishment of at least three years in prison. Stuart Nash told Mike Hosking hard working Kiwis have their hands tied while crime is being committed, and it's crazy that they can't do anything. However, he says they have to be proportionate, and can't become an excuse for beating others up. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, journalist Clare de Lore and Infrastrucuture New Zealand CEO Nick Leggett joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the week - and more! British streaming platform DAZN are being courted by New Zealand Rugby to make an 11th hour bid for the rugby rights deal after the body got into a stalemate with Sky. What do we make of this? The Police Minister is crediting officers for a significant drop in violent crime - the first dip in five years. Do we feel safter when we go out? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Police Minister is crediting officers and Corrections staff for success from a crackdown on violent crime. The Government's celebrating a two percent decline in victimisations in 2024, compared to 2023. It's alongside a 40 percent increase in foot patrols. Ram raids more than halved - but retail crime rose 12 percent. Mark Mitchell says New Zealand should be the safest country in the world. "We're definitely not crowing about it yet - it's early days, we know we've still got an enormous amount of work to do. But it's certainly a step in the right direction." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The timeframe for the 500 officer increase in policing numbers is shrinking. Police News magazine reports there are actually fewer cops in the country than when the target was set 14 months ago. Associate Police Minister Casey Costello says they've lost 150 through attrition, but they're expecting to put 650 recruits through in the first half of the year. She told Mike Hosking it won't just be new recruits who help bolster the numbers. Costello says more than 100 former officers have applied to rejoin the force. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Police Minister says recent incidents where vehicles have been driven into officers are part of a rise of anti-Police violence. An officer has moderate injuries after being struck by a vehicle in Huntly on Wednesday night. It comes weeks after Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming was killed, and another officer was injured after being struck by a vehicle in Nelson on New Year's Day. Mark Mitchell told Mike Hosking these kinds of incidents are happening more often around the world, including here in New Zealand. He says overall, the type of violent offending Police and first responders are having to deal with has been growing over the years. The Government is promising tougher sentences, Mitchell saying he'll be introducing a bill to address these types of incidents by the end of next month. He says the bill will introduce tougher sentences, require cumulative rather than concurrent sentences, and clearly define emergency service workers. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on Politics Wednesday Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen joined Mike Hosking to wrap the political week thus far. They talked the new jury duty bill, the increasing speed limits, and where the Government is at heading into 2025. The Police Minister is welcoming a member's bill that could see more seniors serving on juries. National's Whanganui MP, Carl Bates, has proposed raising the age when people can be automatically excused from jury duty from 65 to 72. People could still be excused for other reasons like health issues or career experience. Police Minister Mark Mitchell told Mike Hosking it would unlock lots of talent that the jury service needs. He says there are many in that age bracket who would make outstanding jurors and have the time to dedicate to it. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark Levy and NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley discuss the recent surge in anti-Semitic attacks across Sydney, debating whether the nation's leadership is equipped to handle the issue effectively.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A passionate Mark Levy has called on Australia's leaders, urging NSW Premier Chris Minns and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to clamp down and ensure those in charge, such as the Police Minister, are ready to tackle the rising string of antisemitic attacks. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Questions to Ministers Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions? SAM UFFINDELL to the Minister of Finance: What recent announcements has she made on banking? Hon BARBARA EDMONDS to the Minister of Finance: Does she stand by her statement that "We have a responsibility to ensure the public gets value for its money"; if so, is she confident that the Government's alternative ferries will be less than the $551 million contract with Hyundai that was cancelled? DEBBIE NGAREWA-PACKER to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions? CHLÖE SWARBRICK to the Prime Minister: E tautoko ana ia i nga korero me nga mahi katoa a tona Kawanatanga? Does he stand by all of his Government's statements and actions? Hon WILLOW-JEAN PRIME to the Minister for Children: Does she stand by all her statements and actions in relation to the Military-Style Academy Pilot and youth offending; if so, why? CAMERON BREWER to the Minister of Transport: What recent announcements has he made on restoring democratic accountability to transport in Auckland? SCOTT WILLIS to the Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology: Is she comfortable with her decision to cut social sciences and humanities research from the Marsden Fund; if so, why? Dr VANESSA WEENINK to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: What recent announcements has the Government made regarding new work-focused support for people on jobseeker benefits? Hon GINNY ANDERSEN to the Minister of Police: Does he stand by his statement, "Having considered my performance over the last year in Government, I believe that I have delivered on my promise for New Zealanders to see change in my first 12 months as Police Minister"; if so, why? DAVID MacLEOD to the Minister for Building and Construction: What announcements has he made around reducing the cost of building? JENNY MARCROFT to the Associate Minister for Energy: What recent announcements has he made regarding fuel security?

The Associate Police Minister is insisting the coalition promise of 500 new police officers by November next year is on track. That's despite police bosses saying it's going to be very challenging - and will likely take an extra seven months. Political reporter Lillian Hanly has more.

The Police Minister is adamant his government will deliver on its promise of 500 new cops by the end of next year. New police commissioner Richard Chambers warned yesterday they're unlikely to meet those numbers until 2026. But Minister Mark Mitchell told Mike Hosking they're going to get as close to the target as they can. He says that they're not dropping standards, and though they always knew the target of 10,711 officers trained by November 2025 was ambitious, they remain committed to it. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Police Minister says gangs are showing a high level of compliance with the new laws. Police are expecting large numbers of Mongrel Mob Barbarians in Nelson over the weekend, and will be deploying officers from Tasman and Canterbury to check for breaches. Yesterday, six people were arrested for allegedly breaching the patch ban at a Tauranga tangi. Mark Mitchell told Mike Hosking that leaders of the gangs in particular are trying to respond, and fundamentally don't seem to want to draw attention to themselves. He says there will probably be some younger members who won't comply because they're not thinking about it, but police will respond to that. Mitchell says that typically those respectfully attending a funeral won't have any contact with police. But he says if people are taking over public roads, intimidating people, and carrying illegal weapons, then police will respond to make sure the public is safe. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Police Minister says it's important for police to be politically neutral. There have been reports on social media of police officers helping to paint signs for today's hīkoi. Up to 30,000 people are expected to join the Hīkoi mō te Tiriti marching on Parliament in opposition to ACT's Treaty Principles Bill. Mark Mitchell told Mike Hosking he's aware of the reports, and has discussed the matter with the Police Commissioner. He says that in order to maintain public confidence, it's critical that the police are seen as politically neutral. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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The head of the ambulance workers union says stab proof vests should be rolled out widely to first responders once police start withdrawing from mental health callouts. Minister of Police Mark Mitchell spoke to Corin Dann.

The Police Minister says calling police raids on gangs 'state-sponsored terrorism' is ridiculous. The police say they seized drugs and firearms, as well as 800,000 dollars of assets, in a raid targeting the eastern Bay of Plenty Mongrel Mob. Te Pati Maori co-leader Rawiri Waititi says there was no consultation with te Whakatohea, and he's questioning the legality of the police actions. Police minister Mark Mitchell spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.