Boyracer crime reduced - police minister
A significant drop in street-racing crime shows the car-crushing threat hanging over boyracers is working, Police Minister Judith Collins says.
A significant drop in street-racing crime shows the car-crushing threat hanging over boyracers is working, Police Minister Judith Collins says.
Latest figures showed an 18 percent drop in street-racing offences in the past year, with 2341 recorded between January 1 and October 31 in 2009, and 1926 during the same period in 2010.
Ms Collins told NZPA the figures demonstrated the success of the boy-racer legislation introduced in December 2009, which allowed courts to order an offender's vehicle be crushed after a third offence.
"Although there've been street-racer offences, there have been not that many second offences and no third offences at this stage," she said.
"It may well be the notices, it may be something else, but I think certainly the fear of getting them crushed is right up there."
However, while the threat of having a car crushed was a strong deterrent, Ms Collins said she expected the punishment would be used eventually.
"It'll be a matter of time, there'll be someone who just wants to push that boundary once more and they will be caught."
Ms Collins said a provision in the legislation that meant all owners of vehicles caught street-racing were notified was particularly useful in cases where cars were under finance.
"Many of these cars are financed, so if you are a finance company and you get one of these notices, under your contract you can take action because, basically, your security is in danger," she said.
"There's nothing like being told that your security could well get crushed if people continue down their way."
NZPA
Mon, 17 Jan 2011
Mon, 17 Jan 2011
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Boyracer crime reduced - police minister
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