New Police Safety Orders will fail unless community groups are given more funding to work with the families at the heart of the violence, says Brian Gardner National Manager of the National Network of Stopping Violence Services.

Today the Minister of Justice Simon Power launched a range of initiatives for victims of crime, including information around the new Police Safety Orders.  From July 1, police will be able to issue orders where they fear for a victims safety but have insufficient evidence to arrest an offender*.

Mr Gardner said police predict that 20 thousand orders will be served in the first year, but no additional funding has been given to the community organizations that work with the victims or the perpetrators of violence.  

“The Safety Orders can be an important tool in addressing New Zealand’s shocking rates of domestic violence.  But there is no additional funding for services like our stopping violence agencies and Women’s Refuges.  We are already struggling to cope with the current demand for our services, let alone the new demand that will be generated by the new orders.

He says from tomorrow, police will simply hand out the safety order and the information pamphlet.  

“We want the Police Safety Orders to work.  We want victims of violence to be safe.  We want those who use violence take responsibility and change their behavior.  

If this initiative is adequately funded, it will be an investment in New Zealanders safety and we will save the cost many times over by preventing further violence.   However without sufficient funding the initiative will fail to achieve its goals and we will all have to deal with the social and financial costs.

For further information please contact Brian Gardner, 027 4529 556

* A person served with a Police Safety Order will be required to surrender any weapons, hand over their firearms license and be required to vacate land or buildings occupied by the “person at risk” for up to 72 hours.