Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: The Policeman at the Dinner Table

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  • Kumara Republic,

    For further enlightenment, just google 'libertarian' and 'somalia'.

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • SHG,

    <blockquote>The man who murdered Good Samaritan Austin Hemmings in central Auckland spent eight years in an Australian jail for stabbing and killing his estranged girlfriend.

    He was also jailed in New Zealand on three separate occasions for knife incidents dating back to 1987.</blockquote>

    Or, to put it another way, he was "quiet and god-fearing, apparently".

    nup • Since Oct 2010 • 77 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Or, "Maybe we will discover that the man has a criminal history"

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Or, to put it another way, he was "quiet and god-fearing, apparently".

    Clearly not, it's now apparent.

    Or, "Maybe we will discover that the man has a criminal history"

    Thing was, it was principally a history of domestic violence. He stabbed his ex-girlfriend to death. For all Cresswell's wailing about the underclass, this is what the family violence campaigns he mocked were about. I think the point of the original post stands.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Rich Lock,

    ScottY responds to inept Stuff reporting on knife crime.

    According to the Herald, the Government plans to amend the Crimes Act to increase the maximum penalty for possession of an offensive weapon from two years in jail to three.

    Ok, fine. That's 'doing something'. But it's hard to see how it would have prevented any of the five attacks that are listed directly below that. Or any other knife assault.

    back in the mother countr… • Since Feb 2007 • 2728 posts Report Reply

  • SHG,

    The man who murdered Good Samaritan Austin Hemmings in central Auckland spent eight years in an Australian jail for stabbing and killing his estranged girlfriend.

    He was also jailed in New Zealand on three separate occasions for knife incidents dating back to 1987.

    Is there any information available about his other crimes? Do we know if they were committed in the home against family members?

    nup • Since Oct 2010 • 77 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    But it makes the voters *feel* like something's being done, Rich. Something suitably Old Testament, whether it actually works or not.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • rodgerd,

    If having no DPB was to reduce crime, we ought to see less crime before 1974, and an increase over the period since then.

    The exact opposite of what actually happened.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 512 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    If having no DPB was to reduce crime, we ought to see less crime before 1974, and an increase over the period since then.

    The exact opposite of what actually happened.

    (a) The DPB doesn't ever seem to have been an issue in this case, although Brown was a sickness beneficiary. Mental illness? At any rate, it's a hard counterfactual to argue, because ...

    (b) It's generally agreed that the increase in reported family violence is down to an increase in reporting.

    (c) The overall crime rate peaked in the early 90s.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • sally jones,

    All that's needed is the simple statement that no new DPB recipients will be accepted after six months, and that the DPB itself will cease once the children of all existing recipients reach school age.
    That shouldn't be so hard, should it?

    I have come late to this thread but had to respond to this outrage!

    Peter, (if you're still following), the DPB reduces crime as it gives women with children some of the resources needed to leave violent partners, men who often only become violent after their children are born and they can't cope with the shift in attention from them to their partner and children. A huge percentage of the murdered victims in this country every year are women killed by their partners and a further chunk of killings and violent offences are 'domestic related'. Children who grow up in violent homes are much more likely to go on to become violent adults than those who grow up in non-violent homes. You cut the DPB, you're absolutely guaranteed to see more, not less violence, especially violence committed by men against women in the home. Perhaps this kind of violence is not what worries you as much as so called 'stranger' violence. How ironic that the Austin Hemmings case that has enraged you so was effectively a murder fuelled by the classic rage of the domestic abuser who feels entitled to kill his woman and anyone who stands in his way. If more people gave a shit about stopping this kind of sexist rage endemic in this country, as in all others, my, somewhat educated, bet is that you eventually wouldn't need the DPB.

    Auckland • Since Sep 2010 • 179 posts Report Reply

  • Jackie Clark,

    Okay - I've read this whole thread and I just have to address something to Peter, specifically around this whole welfare=violence. There's a couple of points I want to talk about. Firstly, a bit of background. I work in Mangere. I am a kindergarten teacher. I am witness to the dynamic of about 90 families approx every 2 years. I've been here about 4 years, so that adds up to about 180 families, of whom we may have had 2 or 3 children attend. Add in some transience, and that boosts your numbers. So about 250 families then - in four years. All of our children come from Pacific Island/Maori homes or a mix, but within that ethnography, there is quite a wide range of socio-economic circumstances. Some are on benefits. Some families have one parent working, some have two working. Some are single parent families. Within the families where two parents work, the grandparents or other relatives come into their own. As so older siblings. So, let's just say I know alot of people who live in this area. Three out of all those people have been in prison. One for violence, one for manslaughter (with a vehicle) one for other stuff. I have only witnessed one child with visible signs of physical abuse (we are, as teachers, required to report any child abuse) and I dealt with that myself. I have taught one child who has been sexually abused (she was in the care of CYFS), and I have taught 2 children who were taken off their parents' for neglect. I know who hits their kids, and I know who hits their spouse. And I can count those people on one hand. Vandalism? Hmm, well occasionally, there's a weeny bit of graffiti on the back of our building. But that's it. Now to my second point, around what we do about violence in our society. Understanding that I have no empirical data to offer you. I only have my 14 years of teaching experience, as anecdotal evidence. And I wouldn't downplay that why? I know a lot of people who find themselves lumped by the media into categories, and by people like you who presume that they are a certain type of person because of where they live, or what their circumstances may be. And let me tell you, Peter, if my anecdotal data is anything to go on? You really are talking out of your behind. I don't think you are right to link welfare recipients to violence. And I would suggest that instead of flagellating others, you work with the people that you seem to think are murdering everyone. Do something proactive, instead of whining about "Enough is enough". If enough really is enough, then do something about it. Volunteer to work with prisoners, or in a womens' refuge. Give money or time to any number of organisations that work in commmunities to bring awareness. Work with people on budgeting, on parenting skills. Because once you do, you may understand that not everyone on a benefit is a child killer. Or are bad people. Or contribute to the violence statistics.

    Mt Eden, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 3136 posts Report Reply

  • Geoff Lealand,

    Great stuff, Jackie!

    Screen & Media Studies, U… • Since Oct 2007 • 2562 posts Report Reply

  • rodgerd,

    (a) The DPB doesn't ever seem to have been an issue in this case, although Brown was a sickness beneficiary. Mental illness? At any rate, it's a hard counterfactual to argue, because ...

    It was more a counterpoint to the notion that the DPB is the problem; the DPB was introduced in recent history, we should see clear evidence that Creswell's notion of abolishing it will produce a drop in crime.

    There doesn't seem to be any.

    (More broadly one might ask whether welfare-free Victorian Britain had more or less crime; I rather suspect that even ignoring that Victorians didn't treat rape or domestic abuse as crimes that they would have had more crime, but I don't know any hard numbers to back up that intuition, and I'd hate to be making as many fact-free assertions as Peter.)

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 512 posts Report Reply

  • Hilary Stace,

    Jackie, like, tick.

    Wgtn • Since Jun 2008 • 3229 posts Report Reply

  • Petra,

    Do something proactive, instead of whining about "Enough is enough". If enough really is enough, then do something about it. Volunteer to work with prisoners, or in a womens' refuge. Give money or time to any number of organisations that work in commmunities to bring awareness. Work with people on budgeting, on parenting skills. Because once you do, you may understand that not everyone on a benefit is a child killer. Or are bad people. Or contribute to the violence statistics.

    Yeah, really!

    Hurrah, Jackie!

    Rotorua • Since Mar 2007 • 317 posts Report Reply

  • Rich Lock,

    But it makes the voters *feel* like something's being done, Rich. Something suitably Old Testament, whether it actually works or not.

    I know. But it was a half-arsed attempt on my part to show that even if you engage with the argument on it's own terms, it still doesn't stack up.

    The guy had been in prison for years, for very similar offences. Clearly the deterrent effect was negligable. Holding this guy up as an example of why we need more draconian laws is teh FAIL, as I believe the kidz say.

    Anyway, I've got a whole new thread to catch up on now. Go Jackie!

    back in the mother countr… • Since Feb 2007 • 2728 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

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