What You Can Do to Stop the Shiftwork 'Blues' - New Zealand Police ...

PoliceNewsThe Voice of PoliceGovt to look at changes to lawrelating to the carriage of knivesBy Steve Plowman, Editor, Police NewsJustice Minister Simon Power has ordered the Ministry of Justiceto prepare a report concerning knife possession laws after leadingjudges, including High Court judge Justice Raynor Asher andPrinicipal Youth Court judge Andrew Becroft, made comments aboutthe incidence of young people committing crimes with knives.Justice Raynor Asher said, during thesentencing for the murder of 26-yearoldDaryl Graydon, that it may be timefor Parliament to reconsider the lawsthat make it an offence for someone tocarry a knife without reasonable excuse.Mr Graydon was stabbed to deathduring an altercation with two men inHowick in 2007. One man was foundguilty of murder, the other convicted ofmanslaughter. Both men were grantedname suppression.Worrying trendJudge Andrew Becroft predicted thatthe trend of young people carryingknives, which had caused suchproblems in Australia and Britain, was“almost certainly” going to become anissue in New Zealand too. Judge Becrofttold a youth mentoring conference inMangere last month: “We (judges) areconcerned that assaults with a weaponhave increased and you have to beconcerned at what may well be anincreasingly important phenomenon ofyouth offending in the future.Judge Becroft suggested that youngpeople were carrying knives for selfdefence.Mr Power announced shortly afterwardthat he had asked Ministry of Justiceofficials to look at the law.“I’m conscious these issues have beenlooked at in the United Kingdom so it’stimely New Zealand looks at them too.Sending a message“We need to make sure our laws aresending a message to young people thatit’s totally unacceptable to have knivesin public places and that there will beconsequences if this happens.“I have asked officials to look at the lawsregarding the possession of knives andoffensive weapons, and expect to have areport by the end of the month.“If our existing laws need toughening,then I’ll look at that,” he said.Police Association President GregO’Connor told Police News: “If you talkto kids around the country, they willtell you that everyone wants to have ago at everyone else. Basically, it’s aboutbullying – and anything like carryingknives just ramps up the extent of theintimidation and the threat associatedwith bullying.”PenaltiesThe Crimes Act (s202A) makes it anoffence to carry a knife in a public placewithout reasonable excuse. A personconvicted under this section could faceup to two years in prison. Section 202Ballows police to search a person wherean officer has “reasonable grounds tobelieve” that a person is carrying anoffensive weapon. The Search andSurveillance Bill, currently beforeParliament, will transfer sections 202Aand 202B and lower the threshold sothat police officers can search on thebasis of “reasonable grounds to suspect.”The Summary Offences Act (s13A)provides for a penalty of up to threemonths in prison or a fine of up to$2,000 for possession of a knife in apublic place without reasonable excuse.Police officers spoken to by Police Newssay they have confiscated knives fromchildren in their early teens.Riots genesis for law changePolice originally sought a strengtheningof the law as far back as 1979, followingthe Moerewa (Northland) riots, whichinvolved a violent confrontationbetween the Black Power and StormTrooper gangs. Several police officerswere injured, a Police van set alight,and a fire engine destroyed. Eventually25 gang members were convicted oncharges including causing grievousbodily harm and criminal damage.As a result, Police were given newpowers to search the occupants ofany vehicle in which it was suspectedoffensive weapons might be present.The New Zealand Herald reported recentlythat a knife was brandished in a classroomand students who had been threatenedhad to use chairs to put themselvesbeyond the reach of the offender.12-year-old arrrestedA 12-year-old boy was recently arrestedin connection with his part in a knifeattack in Palmerston North central.Pahiatua man Richard Sargent, 22, wasstabbed in the incident. The boy couldnot be charged because of his age andwas referred to Child Youth and Family.Mr Sargent was set upon by a group ofyouths and was punched and kicked tothe ground before being stabbed.One of the most cowardly attacks inrecent years was the vicious assault lastyear on 85-year-old war veteran EricBrady. Mr Brady was violently pulledfrom his car and beaten up as he wasleaving the Papatoetoe RSA. He sufferedserious facial injuries, including abroken jaw, cracked cheekbones,bruising and swelling, and the loss ofsome teeth. The assailant had a knifebut had originally run off after Mr Bradysounded the horn, returning shortlyafterward and viciously assaulting theelderly man.An 18-year-old Manukau man wasarrested and is facing charges ofaggravated robbery and wounding withintent to cause grievous bodily harm.32March 2010