Minister of Police Mark Mitchell has announced that he will not be resigning from his position after a year in office, citing a 3% decrease in victimisations as a positive sign of progress.
His decision comes after participating in a beat patrol with a police team in Wellington, where he confirmed the news on Monday afternoon.
During his election campaign, Mitchell had pledged to step down as Minister if significant changes in law and order were not seen within the first 12 months of his term.
The latest crime statistics revealed a 61% drop in ram raids, a 30% increase in police foot patrols, an 11% decrease in aggravated robbery, and a 6% decrease in robbery, extortion, and related offenses between January 1 and September 30.
While serious assaults overall were down by 3%, common assaults remained unchanged, and theft and related offenses had increased by 12%.
Mitchell emphasized the importance of the statistics, stating, “I felt it was crucial for me to set a benchmark and if I couldn’t bring about change within the first 12 months of our new coalition government, then I may not be the right person for the job. But I believe we are making a difference.”
He acknowledged that there is still much work to be done despite the promising statistics and dismissed claims of cherry-picking data, highlighting the government’s focus on reducing violent retail crime.
In September, Mitchell and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon defended the police’s approach to the national gangs list, aiming to ensure accuracy by removing non-active gang members.
When faced with the possibility of his job being at risk, Mitchell addressed the 1% increase in gang membership, expressing satisfaction at the significant reduction compared to the previous year’s 10% increase.
