Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Green MP Tamatha Paul says she has received a "stack" of feedback from her constituents on the presence of beat patrol officers, following her comments criticising them.
The Wellington Central MP had told a panel discussion hosted by the University of Canterbury's Greens and Peace Action Ōtautahi that she had received "nothing but complaints" about police beat patrols.
Paul told the event people in Wellington didn't want to see police officers everywhere, and "for a lot of people, it makes them feel less safe".
"It's that constant visual presence that tells you that you might not be safe there, if there's heaps of cops," she said.
She also accused police of "waiting for homeless people to leave their spot, packing their stuff up and throwing it in the bin."
The comments attracted criticism from National, ACT, New Zealand First, and even Labour.
The Prime Minister accused the Greens of being in "la-la land on law and order."
But Paul told Morning Report she had received a lot of feedback in the past 24 hours to back up her comments.
"It is a polarising issue. There are people who have been writing to me saying 'yes, I do feel intimidated by seeing more police officers around town,' and there are other views as well, people that, it does make them feel safe," she said.
"I think it is a contextual one. It depends on who you are, I guess your interactions that you've had with the police. And I think it is important that there is somebody in this Parliament that is critical of police and the way that they discharge their significant powers."
Paul said some communities had more interaction with police, and with Māori 11 times more likely to be charged for the same offence as non-Māori, and police were quick to use force against people with mental distress.
Those experiences, she said, had led to a lack of trust.
"Not everyone's interactions are the same. I'm not surprised to see that the prime minister has a different experience than I do, because he didn't grow up in a town that was heavily policed, and had negative interactions with the police before. And that needs to be represented in this Parliament," she said.
Paul stuck to her view there were other groups like Māori wardens, council wardens, and community initiatives like Take 10 that could do the same job as beat patrols, allowing police to put their resources into other areas.
'Laughable' - Police Minister
Police minister Mark Mitchell rejected Paul's comments.
"I think that they'd be laughable, if it wasn't so serious and she's actually a member of Parliament, in a party sitting in Parliament talking about defunding the police," Mitchell told Morning Report.
Photo: RNZ / REECE BAKER
Mitchell accepted there were some groups that had low levels of confidence in police, but accused Paul of painting with a broad brush.
"Most Kiwis actually really appreciate the fact our police are highly visible, I know our police officers are really enjoying being out there having positive interaction with the public, and they're also doing great work around building relationships with our retailers and our shopkeepers and their employees, and making sure they're safe and they can carry out their business without being hit by what's been a plague of retail crime."
Other parties' reactions
On Wednesday, the prime minister said Paul's comments were "outrageous and insane", and police were out there doing an "incredible job."
Christopher Luxon said it was a "load of rubbish" police were throwing items owned by homeless people out, "I think she's on a completely different planet."
"No disrespect. She is totally wrong and the Greens are in la-la land on law and order.
"New Zealanders want to feel safe in their homes, their businesses, their communities - the police are doing an excellent job."
Luxon said the government backs police, and he wants them to be recognised.
"Beating up on our police and accusing them of all sorts of things, she is on a completely different planet from where New Zealanders are at."
NZ First leader Winston Peters said his party's view is that they are "not for anarchy".
In regards to Paul, he said "clearly she's for anarchy".
Epsom MP David Seymour said the people he represents "want to see the police out there".
"They provide security, they deter real violence."
He said a lot of people feel unsafe locking up shops in his electorate, and seeing the police around gives people a lot of reassurance.
Seymour said her comments were "just weird" and the Greens need to clarify if they are in favour of the police or "some other world, and how would that work?"
Labour leader Chris Hipkins said "undermining confidence in the police" was not the way to have a discussion about police resourcing, and preventing crime.
Green co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick backed her MP, saying there was "stacks of evidence" that police respond to crime, but what meaningfully prevents crime is "ensuring we have adequate investment in housing, education, healthcare and people's incomes."
