WEBVTT - Mark Mitchell: Bootcamp offender arrested, gang patch ban 0:00:05.761 --> 0:00:09.401 You're listening to the Weekend Collective podcast from News Talks, 0:00:09.441 --> 0:00:11.641 I'd be there's a lot of news in the world 0:00:11.681 --> 0:00:15.441 of police and corrections this past week. First bound on 0:00:15.521 --> 0:00:18.881 gang patches came into force on midnight on Thursday. First 0:00:19.001 --> 0:00:21.441 arrest was only three hours later. I wonder if they 0:00:21.481 --> 0:00:23.961 had some sort of sweepstake in the police. Who gets 0:00:23.961 --> 0:00:26.881 in first gets a set of wine glasses or something. Anyway, 0:00:26.881 --> 0:00:29.481 there were twelve gang insignia related to arrests in the 0:00:29.521 --> 0:00:32.521 first twenty four hours. Richard Chambers has been announced to 0:00:32.601 --> 0:00:35.921 be the new Police Commissioner after he's been serving as 0:00:35.921 --> 0:00:38.961 an officer in nine in ninety six, and one of 0:00:39.001 --> 0:00:43.441 the ten Camp Youth Offender boot Camp participants has been arrested. 0:00:43.561 --> 0:00:45.201 Is it a sign? What does it tell us? 0:00:45.241 --> 0:00:46.761 And we're gonna have a chat about that right now 0:00:46.761 --> 0:00:48.921 with the Minister of Police and Corrections. 0:00:48.601 --> 0:00:49.881 Mark Mature is with me. 0:00:49.961 --> 0:00:53.121 Now, Mark good A good mate, good? How are you? 0:00:53.241 --> 0:00:54.321 I'm good good good. 0:00:55.161 --> 0:00:58.521 So just quickly, how is the decision to appoint the 0:00:58.561 --> 0:01:02.521 new police commissioner made? Who sort of sits on that panel. 0:01:02.641 --> 0:01:07.481 So that the Public Service Commission unset process. There is 0:01:07.521 --> 0:01:11.241 a panel sits that both, all the candidates go in 0:01:11.321 --> 0:01:14.281 front of there's a recommendation that comes back that the 0:01:14.441 --> 0:01:18.041 suitable candidates go forward as the police commissioner, and then 0:01:18.121 --> 0:01:20.401 I make a recommendation to the Prime Minister, who then, 0:01:20.481 --> 0:01:23.521 if he ac sets my recommendation, makes the recommendation to 0:01:23.561 --> 0:01:24.601 the Governor General. 0:01:24.681 --> 0:01:26.761 Okay, what were the qualities that attracted you to the 0:01:26.801 --> 0:01:28.521 new police commissioner Richard? 0:01:28.721 --> 0:01:31.241 Sorry, should put that in another way, But what did 0:01:31.281 --> 0:01:31.801 you like about? 0:01:32.561 --> 0:01:36.321 Sorry, I know what you mean. 0:01:36.441 --> 0:01:41.201 I know what you mean. What did you like about? 0:01:42.561 --> 0:01:46.201 Yeah, the qualities as a police commissioner. So, look, he's 0:01:46.241 --> 0:01:49.241 got he's got a very deep operational background. He's been 0:01:49.281 --> 0:01:53.841 an area commanded district commander in several different districts, and 0:01:54.441 --> 0:01:57.001 he's he's recognized has been a quiety leader that is 0:01:57.081 --> 0:02:00.361 connected to his front line but also has the strategic 0:02:00.401 --> 0:02:02.761 side as well. So he's just a grew very good 0:02:02.801 --> 0:02:04.881 all out. But what we'll need as a country and 0:02:04.881 --> 0:02:06.681 the police commissioner, A lot of. 0:02:06.641 --> 0:02:09.841 The sort of chat around the place has been it 0:02:09.841 --> 0:02:12.041 talks about the difference is that there might be between 0:02:12.161 --> 0:02:15.921 him and his predecessor Andrew Costa. But I mean, what 0:02:16.081 --> 0:02:17.961 will change effectively. 0:02:18.801 --> 0:02:21.601 Well, I mean that's entitled to him. But of course, 0:02:21.681 --> 0:02:23.401 you know, any new commissioner is going to have their 0:02:23.401 --> 0:02:28.961 own style, their own focus, in their own way of leading, 0:02:29.041 --> 0:02:30.921 so and I don't expect that to be any different 0:02:30.921 --> 0:02:32.281 with Richard. 0:02:34.161 --> 0:02:35.841 Okay, do you get a sense that it's been a 0:02:35.841 --> 0:02:39.801 popular appointment from within the front line of police force? 0:02:41.041 --> 0:02:43.161 Resoundingly? I think the feedback that I've had is that 0:02:43.201 --> 0:02:46.321 it's a very very popular decision. I think that he's 0:02:46.361 --> 0:02:49.801 deeply connected with his front line and they have enormous 0:02:49.841 --> 0:02:50.841 respect for him. 0:02:51.241 --> 0:02:51.801 Good stuff. 0:02:52.081 --> 0:02:54.121 Look, it's a bit disappointing about the news of that 0:02:54.161 --> 0:02:56.601 boot camp offender. What was your reaction that somebody had 0:02:56.641 --> 0:02:57.641 reoffended so soon? 0:02:58.721 --> 0:03:00.961 Yeah, I mean, we would love to have a one 0:03:01.041 --> 0:03:05.721 hundred per cent perfect result on that, because these youth 0:03:05.761 --> 0:03:09.561 offenders that are going into the military academy are the worst, 0:03:09.601 --> 0:03:12.481 most violent recidivist offenders. They are right at the very 0:03:12.481 --> 0:03:15.121 difficult tough end the town in terms of trying to 0:03:15.161 --> 0:03:18.561 invest in them and rehabilitate them and you know, put 0:03:18.561 --> 0:03:21.481 some guidelines and guide rails and around them and allow 0:03:21.521 --> 0:03:25.201 them to come back into society with support to not reoffend. 0:03:25.601 --> 0:03:27.401 But I think we have to recognize, like I said, 0:03:27.441 --> 0:03:29.241 that they are at the very top end of the 0:03:29.361 --> 0:03:34.161 violent offending and presents the real challenges and so it 0:03:34.201 --> 0:03:36.921 was disappointing to see that one of them has reoffended, 0:03:36.921 --> 0:03:40.801 but look, we just remain committed the military academy. Feedback 0:03:40.801 --> 0:03:43.841 has been extremely positive from all those that have visited 0:03:43.881 --> 0:03:46.721 had been involved in it. We've got outstanding staff from there. 0:03:46.761 --> 0:03:49.321 We've got over seventy percent of the staff they're are 0:03:49.401 --> 0:03:52.481 Maria Pacific. Over thirty percent of them are each police 0:03:52.761 --> 0:03:56.721 or New Zealand Defense Forces. The young people themselves on 0:03:56.761 --> 0:03:59.481 the course provided great feedback in terms of they got 0:03:59.481 --> 0:04:01.721 a lot out of it. And there's one thing that 0:04:01.761 --> 0:04:04.041 we have done. It's difference is there's very strong reparound 0:04:04.081 --> 0:04:06.361 support for them. But like I said, it is really 0:04:06.401 --> 0:04:09.681 disappointing that one of them has gone out reoffending. Certainly 0:04:09.681 --> 0:04:11.161 not going to give up on them, and I think 0:04:11.161 --> 0:04:13.841 that the rest of them have come out, have been 0:04:13.841 --> 0:04:15.721 lined up for jobs and are actually doing very. 0:04:15.521 --> 0:04:17.561 Well well that I was about to ask you how 0:04:17.601 --> 0:04:19.401 the other nine are going, But so far, so good. 0:04:19.441 --> 0:04:21.761 I guess, yeah, no, no, they are, they're going well. 0:04:21.761 --> 0:04:24.441 But like I said, I mean you know, these are 0:04:24.481 --> 0:04:26.881 these are kids that had the system had failed them, 0:04:27.001 --> 0:04:31.001 and and they're already out there doing recidivous violent offending. 0:04:31.881 --> 0:04:34.681 It's not easy, it's tough, but look, we've got great 0:04:34.721 --> 0:04:38.961 people supporting them, helping me, helping them, mentoring them, putting 0:04:38.961 --> 0:04:41.641 guard else in place, and and trying to make sure 0:04:41.641 --> 0:04:44.121 that they turn into young keys. They can actually take 0:04:44.161 --> 0:04:47.081 advantage of the of the great opportunity our country has 0:04:47.441 --> 0:04:49.281 and not keep them on a fast trek into their 0:04:49.281 --> 0:04:50.361 doctrinal justice system. 0:04:50.641 --> 0:04:53.881 Given the given the cost to society of every sort of offender. 0:04:53.921 --> 0:04:56.521 You know what the what the negative potential of the 0:04:56.561 --> 0:04:59.721 offenders is if they go back to reoffend. What what 0:04:59.761 --> 0:05:03.361 does success look like for you with this program? 0:05:03.601 --> 0:05:06.001 Well, well, I mean old stimately for me is that 0:05:06.041 --> 0:05:10.161 they just stop reoffending, that they do engage in training, 0:05:10.201 --> 0:05:12.401 that they do actually want to get themselves into some 0:05:12.481 --> 0:05:15.921 manyful employment, that they want to break that cycle of 0:05:16.641 --> 0:05:19.281 violent offending. So and keeping them out of the adult 0:05:19.281 --> 0:05:22.121 criminal justice system, because once they get in there, then 0:05:22.161 --> 0:05:25.441 it becomes more and more difficult to rehabilitate and and 0:05:25.521 --> 0:05:27.401 get them back on the right track. So that's kind 0:05:27.401 --> 0:05:29.241 of what success looks like, for me, do you. 0:05:29.201 --> 0:05:30.841 Think, by the way, do we think we need to 0:05:30.841 --> 0:05:33.081 come up with a decent name for these facilities because 0:05:33.761 --> 0:05:37.121 the Children's Commission are clear. Akhmad said she'd visited the 0:05:37.161 --> 0:05:40.481 facility and she said, I've been to military style academy 0:05:40.601 --> 0:05:43.801 sort of but and that sort of. I've seen those things, 0:05:43.841 --> 0:05:45.441 but to be honest, I didn't see anything I would 0:05:45.481 --> 0:05:48.361 class as military style and character. And the point I'm 0:05:48.401 --> 0:05:51.201 making is really the word boot camp gets banded around 0:05:51.201 --> 0:05:53.281 as if that's the beginning and the end of the argument. 0:05:54.281 --> 0:05:56.961 But that was that was the term that all the 0:05:56.961 --> 0:06:00.441 detractors and everyone that was that was against them used. 0:06:00.801 --> 0:06:03.841 It's a youth military academy. Its stylized off their Limbited 0:06:03.921 --> 0:06:09.961 Volunce Limited on Test Service program, which has been extremely successful. 0:06:09.961 --> 0:06:12.801 It's been running for years. It focuses on young people 0:06:12.841 --> 0:06:15.001 seventeen plus that have gone off the rails a bit 0:06:16.241 --> 0:06:18.721 and it's been usually successful. And there is an element 0:06:18.761 --> 0:06:22.481 of the defense side of it, military side of it 0:06:22.521 --> 0:06:25.041 in these because there's guardrails, they are in a uniform. 0:06:25.321 --> 0:06:27.601 There is discipline in terms of getting up at a 0:06:27.601 --> 0:06:31.361 certain time of the day, learning about basic hygiene, learning 0:06:31.401 --> 0:06:35.521 how a team work involved in physical activity, you know, 0:06:35.521 --> 0:06:37.921 and having some strong hadrails put around them, which I 0:06:37.921 --> 0:06:40.361 think the young people actually makes them feel safer. Even 0:06:40.361 --> 0:06:42.641 though they pushed back bit, it actually makes them feel 0:06:42.641 --> 0:06:43.481 safer in the long one. 0:06:43.641 --> 0:06:47.361 Of course, the first view at the first intake is 0:06:47.441 --> 0:06:50.281 part of I guess what's called a trial. Is this 0:06:50.321 --> 0:06:52.361 a trial to see if it works or a trial 0:06:52.561 --> 0:06:55.321 just to test your methods and see what else what 0:06:55.361 --> 0:06:56.241 you can change? 0:06:56.961 --> 0:07:00.441 Well, I think it's a pilot because number one, we 0:07:00.521 --> 0:07:02.441 had to get it stood up fairly quickly, and the 0:07:02.481 --> 0:07:04.961 system does not get up to be able to NECESSI 0:07:05.281 --> 0:07:07.521 adapts that quickly. But we've we've done it. We've been 0:07:07.881 --> 0:07:10.961 very successful in Karen Chaw is doing an outstanding standing 0:07:11.041 --> 0:07:13.121 job of leading that long with the team that's been 0:07:13.161 --> 0:07:16.121 called together. But you know, we want to see how 0:07:16.161 --> 0:07:18.761 successful it as. We want to learn from it, and 0:07:18.881 --> 0:07:20.641 and I think that she's very keen to see it 0:07:20.721 --> 0:07:22.121 rolled out and expended. 0:07:22.961 --> 0:07:25.961 Okay, moving on to the gang patch ban. 0:07:26.881 --> 0:07:31.041 What's going to define this policy's success? 0:07:31.521 --> 0:07:33.961 I think if gag pictures just pear off our streets 0:07:35.081 --> 0:07:38.281 are quite simply warned to intimidate the community that these 0:07:38.641 --> 0:07:43.281 gangs operating. They are a symbol of violent offending. There's 0:07:43.281 --> 0:07:45.281 a trail of tears and victims sitting behind each of 0:07:45.281 --> 0:07:47.521 those batches. And as a country, I think it's a 0:07:47.561 --> 0:07:49.321 really good mood so that we're not going to tolerate 0:07:49.321 --> 0:07:53.641 them anymore. So I think that, and I think and look, 0:07:53.841 --> 0:07:55.641 I know that in your opening comments you said that 0:07:56.401 --> 0:07:59.401 within three hours of the patch coming into effect, there 0:07:59.481 --> 0:08:01.321 was actually taken It was actually three minutes. 0:08:01.961 --> 0:08:04.041 I meant to say, actually, did I say ours? 0:08:04.081 --> 0:08:07.281 Okay, yeah you did, But I know what you mean 0:08:07.321 --> 0:08:10.321 to say. It was actually three months. Listen, the police 0:08:10.681 --> 0:08:13.841 have got the ability to enforce this that it's now 0:08:13.921 --> 0:08:15.961 up to the gangs in terms of whether the gangs 0:08:16.001 --> 0:08:18.361 continue to think that they are above the law and 0:08:18.481 --> 0:08:21.441 they can con choose which laws they have to comply with. 0:08:21.881 --> 0:08:25.441 But as a country, as a coalition government, we're sending 0:08:25.481 --> 0:08:27.081 some really clear lines in the sand that we're not 0:08:27.121 --> 0:08:29.121 putting up with their violent nonsense anymore. 0:08:30.041 --> 0:08:32.721 How important was it for the police to act really quickly. 0:08:34.561 --> 0:08:36.401 I think it was important for the public to see 0:08:36.441 --> 0:08:39.161 that the police could act and could police this because 0:08:39.201 --> 0:08:41.841 the narrative that had got up through the media and 0:08:41.921 --> 0:08:45.321 certainly through the opposition parties was that the police had 0:08:45.361 --> 0:08:47.641 lost the capability to be able to police the gangs. 0:08:48.041 --> 0:08:50.841 The gangs had become too strong, and so I felt 0:08:50.881 --> 0:08:52.441 that it was really important for them to be able 0:08:52.481 --> 0:08:54.961 to show the public. But they've got deep capability and 0:08:55.001 --> 0:08:57.201 they will enforce the law and that's exactly what they've done. 0:08:57.441 --> 0:08:59.921 Is there any validity to the arguments that critics would 0:08:59.921 --> 0:09:01.921 make that actually, if you just push the gangs further 0:09:02.001 --> 0:09:04.961 underground and you make them less visible, that's not necessarily 0:09:05.081 --> 0:09:05.521 great thing. 0:09:06.561 --> 0:09:08.921 No, it's a silly argument. Of course, we don't want 0:09:08.921 --> 0:09:12.121 the public being exposed to the game. Members and police 0:09:12.161 --> 0:09:14.441 have got intelligence tools and they know exactly who the 0:09:14.481 --> 0:09:18.121 gigs are and then the serious activities that they're up to, 0:09:18.241 --> 0:09:19.921 so they don't need pictches to be able to per 0:09:19.961 --> 0:09:21.401 form them who they are or what they're doing. 0:09:22.681 --> 0:09:25.081 What do we know about the first we've had the 0:09:25.081 --> 0:09:26.841 first sort of twenty four to forty eight hours of it. 0:09:26.881 --> 0:09:31.321 But have there been have the gangs effectively followed the 0:09:31.401 --> 0:09:33.841 rules or are they constant risk being made right now? 0:09:33.921 --> 0:09:37.761 They have? I mean they have, they've been that there's 0:09:37.801 --> 0:09:40.841 a high level of compliance. There's probably going to be 0:09:40.881 --> 0:09:42.161 some that want to test it a bit, and the 0:09:42.201 --> 0:09:44.481 police are ready to respond to that. And ultimately the 0:09:44.521 --> 0:09:49.001 police will continue to enforce the law and if the 0:09:49.041 --> 0:09:51.481 gangs want to test it, then they'll lose the test. 0:09:51.881 --> 0:09:53.921 Are you anticipating any legal challenges to it? 0:09:55.561 --> 0:09:57.041 I don't know. I mean that that will be up 0:09:57.081 --> 0:10:00.761 to them, but it's possible. These gangs are well organized, 0:10:00.801 --> 0:10:05.441 they've rephisticated, well funded, don't do anything to try and 0:10:05.441 --> 0:10:08.361 avoid to clients. So who knows what it's set to 0:10:08.401 --> 0:10:08.761 wait to do? 0:10:08.961 --> 0:10:09.321 Excellent? 0:10:09.321 --> 0:10:10.761 Look, I really appreciate the time. Are you down at 0:10:10.761 --> 0:10:13.401 the swings or something? Sounds like you children? 0:10:15.001 --> 0:10:17.601 No oventually down at the viaduct. It's a beautiful day 0:10:17.681 --> 0:10:20.921 down here at the moment. So yeah, no, we've popped 0:10:20.921 --> 0:10:21.881 the end of the videt today. 0:10:21.961 --> 0:10:23.921 Oh excellent. You didn't go and see Santa. 0:10:25.281 --> 0:10:27.281 No, no are we here? I hid my sin to 0:10:27.321 --> 0:10:28.481 braid and I rewre used today. 0:10:28.681 --> 0:10:33.081 Excellent, excellent, good stuff. Mark. I really appreciate your time 0:10:33.121 --> 0:10:36.521 in staffing. Thanks very much for more from the Weekend Collective. 0:10:36.601 --> 0:10:40.201 Listen live to news Talks it'd be weekends from three pm, 0:10:40.281 --> 0:10:42.361 or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.