Comments on: Crime Stoppers

By: Gregg Nelson

Gregg Nelson — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 05:24:49 +0000

Oh it will die a horrible and undignified death…

Especially when the anonymity they so bodly speak of is actually a sive.

By: Will de Cleene

Will de Cleene — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 22:01:18 +0000

I hope Crime Stoppers NZ dies a horrible undignified death.

By: dungflunghoo

dungflunghoo — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 19:44:45 +0000

I think this is a very good idea. Sure, you could get people making hoax or malicious phone calls but police probably get those anyway and can sort them out fairly quickly. I think the benefits of this system will outweigh the drawbacks.

By: Pete George

Pete George — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 03:52:35 +0000

And blame the school when the kid becomes disruptive, blame police when the kid becomes a crim and when the dog bites someone blame the government because microchips didn’t work.

By: Kris K

Kris K — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 03:31:07 +0000

Hey, I just saw my neighbour smack their child and kick the dog.
I guess my reporting of said crimes will result in a visit from both CYFs and the SPCA, with the police likely in tow.

Yeah, guilt free dobbing in – I think I’ll grab a beer and watch the entertainment unfold – who needs TV?

By: Rex Widerstrom

Rex Widerstrom — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 03:28:01 +0000

Okay DPF, so where are the figures for how many false reports these services receive? And how many of those translate into the police taking action against an otherwise innocent person?

I don’t know the stats but I have seen plenty of it anecdotally, as every state in Australia has a “Crimestoppers”. It’s particularly beloved of those involved in already-messy Family Court actions… like the bloke who proudly related how he’d “called the cops” on his ex-partner, claiming she had methamphetamines in the house.

Armed police kicked her door in while she was at home with her children, in front of whom she wet herself in fear. Nothing was found, of course.

Whatever happened to the right’s support for freedom from a totalitarian state? Or is that only when the state wants to stop us nice middle class folk from putting up an election poster?

By: KiwiGreg

KiwiGreg — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 03:21:53 +0000

Seems to me some folk are trying to do something. They arent asking me to pay for it; dont plan to break any laws; might do some good. Yet you seem to think it’s a bad thing. /boggle.

By: Ross Miller

Ross Miller — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 03:06:22 +0000

Gueez Wayne … don’t you just luv the sound of the ‘Knock. Knock’ bird as articulated by the village idiot.

At least ‘he’ got the name right.

By: village idiot

village idiot — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 02:53:25 +0000

Nope. I’m asking the ref to look at how the game is played, so that the onside rule isn’t broken so often. Giving him a louder whistle or a bigger sin bin is shortsighted and won’t improve the game.

By: Herman Poole

Herman Poole — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 02:46:55 +0000

Obviously we do not have enough criminals in jail then Idiot.

It’s a bit like blaming the referee for blowing too many penalties rather than asking the players to stay onside.

By: village idiot

village idiot — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 02:44:27 +0000

DPF – if a rapist is in prison, he is not able to carry on raping… quite (if unintentionally) funny, that statement.

I think your view of crime is simplistic and wrong. Keep catching them til they’re all inside? Hmmmm…..

We have already, an unholy percentage of our men and women ‘inside’. The rate of crime doesn’t seem to be falling away noticably, does it. Something’s wrong with the theory… wonder what that is?

You expect, over time, the rate of crime to fall… mind if I quote you on that David?

Still doesn’t address the question of greater numbers of New Zealanders having to be accomodated in prison, does it. It’s already a huge strain on the taxpayer. This initiative doesn’t look as though it will alleviate that at all, in fact, it will do the opposite.

By: stephen

stephen — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 02:43:33 +0000

RRM – my bad

By: village idiot

village idiot — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 02:10:34 +0000

KiwiGreg – don’t get me wrong, I’m a great fan of Neighbourhood Watch.
Here’s a question: Do you think the incidence of crime will be reduced as a result if this initiative?
Will it act as a deterrent? Or will we have to buy more shipping containers?

[DPF: If a rapist is in prison, he is not able to carrying on raping, until he is released so yes if more criminals are caught, I expect over time the incidence of crime to fall. Most crime is done by the same criminals time and time again]

By: KiwiGreg

KiwiGreg — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 02:02:23 +0000

Wow VI, you really dont like a voluntary, private effort to reduce crime?

Here’s a hint, don’t participate.

By: senzafine

senzafine — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 01:41:58 +0000

A fantastic tool. Perhaps the biggest benefits I can see is that people are more likely to report crime if its anonymous. It is not, as Greenfly so suggests about narks, as it is about fear of retribution. Also, having civilians sift through the chaff, forwarding just the good stuff to police helps the police do what matters; Catch Criminals and Protect the innocent.

By: village idiot

village idiot — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 01:39:58 +0000

Winston – great gymnastics and parades to die for.

By: village idiot

village idiot — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 01:38:16 +0000

Anonymous dobbing, ah! That’s what smells so bad!

I’m surprised you freedom-loving personal-choice supporters so easily hand over your freedoms!
John Key announces that he has granted the police greater powers (to combat….let’s see, what can we cite this time..I know! P!), the details of which won’t be made public, and you smile benignly and call for the next erosion of your rights? It arrives within the week, flown in from the U.K. where the public live under surveillence day in, day out, and voila! an anonymous dobbing scheme! Brilliant!

Winston – nothing good in a Communist system? You sure?

By: RRM

RRM — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 01:15:20 +0000

^^^ FAIL

[Quoting RRM]: Lastly, I point out that in terms of suspected child abuse… [/quote]

By: stephen

stephen — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 01:13:07 +0000

RRM, You’d report a suspected burglar to CYFS?

By: Pete George

Pete George — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 01:11:54 +0000

This is just another of life’s balances. There are many examples of misuse – many of the residents of Guantanomo were handed in for rewards or to deal to someone. Similar to the early days of British justice when there were no police – being accused by a victim or competitor or adversary would mean something like having to put your hand or arm in boiling water and be judged by the God/pus test. At least now most people get a fair-ish trial (excluding Gitmo).

But the public have to be part of policing otherwise it simply wouldn’t work. The more honest and reasonable people taking part the smaller the proportion of abuse.