Creating Safer Coromandel Communities

Creating Safer Coromandel Communities.

The following letter to the editor appeared in the 7 April edition of the Hauraki Herald.

I'm pleased to hear that Thames people demanded real answers of Paula Bennett and Scott Simpson at their public meeting about crime and policing on 29 March. Coromandel communities have every right to be concerned that people can't feel safe in their own homes here. Crime is on the rise and as raised at the meeting it affects all of us, regardless of our age or circumstances.

It's no coincidence that under almost nine years of a National government we have also seen increasing child poverty, increased levels of homelessness and housing insecurity, greater income inequality with reduced social welfare and less funding for vital community social services. Crime is driven by social desperation and social desperation has worsened under this government.

To address the rise of crime we have to make sure our communities are inclusive and offer everyone the support they need. We need to make sure our kids grow up healthy and with every opportunity for success. We need to make sure all families have access to an affordable and healthy home. We need to make sure jobs are available in regional communities and that those who aren't in work are supported. And we need to make sure community social services have the funding they need to undertake their really important work supporting New Zealanders at risk.

National have spent their last nine years cutting budgets and putting more and more people at risk. More money for police is important to help people feel safe but it's reactive - to truly address crime we need a government that will focus on rebuilding and empowering our communities.

If you've got ideas of what we can do to rebuild Coromandel communities, I'd love to hear from you. You can email me on scott.summerfield@greens.org.nz or on Facebook @scottsummerfieldnz