Police News April 05.indd - New Zealand Police Association

New Zealand Police AssociationSecondhand Dealers and Pawnbrokers’Act designed to stymie burglarsBy Steve Plowman, Editor, Police NewsLegislation passed recently is aimed atmaking it harder for burglars to disposeof stolen property via secondhand dealersand pawnbrokers.“The Secondhand Dealers andPawnbrokers’ Act is part of widergovernment action to help police crackdown on burglary - efforts which arealready resulting in significantly fewerburglaries and more cases being solved.This new law can only result in furtherimprovements,” Minister of Justice, PhilGoff said shortly after the legislation waspassed.“There have been a number of recentlegislative initiatives aimed, in wholeor part, at combating property crime,including the recent DNA legislation,which can now be used to link suspectsto burglaries.“This Bill will make it harder for criminalsto dispose of stolen goods throughsecondhand dealers and pawnbrokers,and make it easier for police to recoverFrom the PresidentDeputies are dispatched to sing thegovernment line: “More cops than ever,less crime.”Why does the Commissioner insist onassuring the politicians and the publicthere are plenty of frontline police?I can understand the Minister doingit; he’s a politician and it’s his job toconvince everyone his government isdoing a wonderful job protecting thepublic and that there are plenty ofpolice.But when concerned citizens, includingmayors, approach the Commissionerwith their concerns about lack ofpolice on the street, he reassures themeverything is okay.So those Sergeants and Senior Sergeantsstruggling to fill I-cars have their pleasfor more staff ignored. Worse still,anyone attempting to advocate to theBoard of Commissioners (BOC) formore frontliners is accused of negativityand told to police smarter.Deputies are dispatched to sing thegovernment line: ‘More cops than ever,less crime.’stolen goods and to solve propertycrimes,” Mr Goff added.Conditions tightenedThe Bill establishes the followingmeasures:• Dealers will have to sight approved photoID and record the contact details andsignature of everyone selling them articles.• Five-year licenses for dealers andpawnbrokers will replace current lifetimeones, renewable only after dishonesty/character checks.• Staff accepting goods, or supervising theacceptance of goods, will require certificatesand will undergo character checks similarto those for a licence holder.• Licenses and certificates will be in photo IDform, with details recorded on a centralisedelectronic register.• Businesses will have to keep records ofemployees’ names, addresses, phonenumbers and certificate numbers.Sadly, this just impacts on thecredibility of the 8th floor at OoC.These are the same people whodismissed Association claims thatmethamphetamine was a problem. Asthe ad says – Yeah right.Here is the problem. Politicians havedecided that reducing volume propertyoffending is their priority, and thepolice have bought into it. Throughtagged funding, they have diverted stafffrom section patrols and general crimeinvestigations.While volume property crime hasreduced, so has police visibility and theservice we offer to the public, especiallyour emergency response capability.Serious assaults have risen drasticallyand the public don’t feel any safer.The police reputation reduces andlocal body politicians, in particular,don’t believe the OoC line, which is ofcourse, the Government line.April 2005• Internet auctioneers and promoters ofmarkets and fairs will have to keep recordsof who is selling secondhand goodsthrough their event.• The existing, outdated list of furs, suits andgramophones will be replaced with a moregeneralised list of goods that must be retainedfor 14 days to enable police checks. The newlist includes items frequently targeted byburglars such as compact discs, computers,and DVD players.• Police will be able to inspect on demand allregisters and goods held for sale.• Penalties will be increased from thecurrent maximum of $200 to $20,000 forunlicensed dealing or pawnbroking, or$10,000 for not keeping a register.Previously, pawnbrokers and secondhanddealers were subject to the provisionsof the outdated Pawnbrokers Act1908. Pawnbrokers will have to holdpledged items for at least three months.Unclaimed items must then be offeredfor sale via public or Internet auction,unless the pawnbroker and pledgerreach agreement for an immediate andunconditional cash sale. If the redemptionprice is not reached at auction, thepawnbroker is then able to sell the goods.What needs to happen?The Commissioner needs to standup to the Government and decidehis priorities and advocate for moreuntagged staff to go on the frontline tobolster sections, in particular; and notjust a hundred - but thousands.If we move staff from the volumeproperty crime area, these offences willjust increase again. By boosting ourpolice-to-population ratios to even nearthe rest of the developed world, we willbe able to reduce and resolve crime inall areas. At the moment, our policeto-populationratios are the worst in theWestern world.Either way, unless OoC changeemphasis from trying to reassure thepoliticians to reassuring the public,then their credibility will erodecompletely, especially with their staff,the public and key leaders in thecommunity. Anything less is sellingNew Zealand short. ‘Clean, green andsafe’ needs to be our motto. Safety doesnot come from hollow reassurancesfrom government or OoC. It comesfrom having visible and effectivepolice.47