What is this country coming to?

I know!! It's nuts...beginning to feel like we are the middle of New York not New Zealand!

I don't watch the news for this exact reason although I still hear about what's going on from the radio, work colleagues and teletext.
I have bee saying for the last 5 years that NZ is on a down hill slide. It's disgusting and I find New Zealand's attitude (ie government, politicians etc) attitude towards this sort of thing apalling. Just because reported crime has dropped (so they say) doesn't make it okay. It's not reported because people can't see the point leading people to do more vicious crimes IMO. Obviously when someone is killed it's reported but it's just not okay. Ever. Our punishments are not harsh enough and I mean for anything; graffitti, murder, robbery; whatever. I personally don't think it's about whether reported crime has increased or decreased, it's about making sure that people are held accountable. I have so many examples I could sit here all bl00dy day.
Not good, just not good at all.

10 murders all ready ? good grief, its not even February yet!

well, why wouldn't they kill? the punishment hardly fits the crime here, and im not talking life for a life (i aint gonna be the one to start THAT debate!) but at least a bit longer than 18 years, yeesh !

Katherine wrote: Paws wrote: I know!! It's nuts...beginning to feel like we are the middle of New York not New Zealand! Oi! Try New Orleans, not New York, if you want to talk about high murder rates in the US... Or better yet, try another country altogether, like El Salvador, Guatemala, Venezuela, South Africa... Don't get me started!

Zimbabwe, Pakistan, Mexico, Argentina...

I think we're pretty lucky in the grand scheme of things.

Maya wrote: [QUOTE=Katherine] [QUOTE=Paws]I k Zimbabwe, Pakistan, Mexico, Argentina... I think we're pretty lucky in the grand scheme of things.

I agree Emma , I'll be even more worried when there are murders we dont hear of, i would rather not hear of any , but at least the majority of murders in our country dont go unnoticed

Wow that is quite good for the police to only have 40 outstanding. When you look at other countries and the things that just go unnoticed by the government and police there.

Yes in the UK most murders make the local papers but are not horrific enough to warrant national paper or tv news status, that is bad.
Having said that though when we were looking to move out here I did read that per capita NZ has a murder rate higher than the average US city which I do find a bit scary, although it said most were domestic abuse related, which is awful but not as scary as "stranger danger".

I agree that ALL crimes should be treated more seriously and that sensible punishments need to be implemented, now all we need is sensible politicians and judges to step up to the challenge. I feel very sorry for the police, all the hard work they do seems to amount to nothing because of the sentencing. I know in the UK that to book someone for a petty theft would create hours of paper work for the copper and then a judge would just give them a slap on the wrist and tell them not to do it again, how fricking stupid is that and little wonder that they don't bother booking people for small crimes. I'm sure the police have the same bureacratic bullsh*t to deal with here as well.

It is awful particularly as some of the culprits are so young - one was 14 years old!

Its a testament to the police that in these 10 murder cases, 7 arrests have been made.

I have banned the news in our house as it is scaring my 12years old something shocking. She is extra scare that someone is going to attack me but I guess that is her insecurities of not having a dad around.

Very sad for the families.