April 21, 2020
Shooting shows downside of police patrols
Auckland Peace Action says the killing of a machete-wielding man South Auckland on Sunday shows the risks of having more armed police on the streets.
Spokesperson Eliana Darroch says society needs to provide the appropriate support to help people who are in distress, not kill them.
Aotearoa needs more social workers, community workers, and de-escalation skills training for frontline staff rather than putting more weapons in the hands of police.
She says a recent Action Station survey of more than 1000 Māori and Pasifika people about a pilot programme of armed police response units in south Auckland, Waikato and Canterbury found 91 per cent of those surveyed were less likely to call the police in family violence situations if they knew the police had guns.
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