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Francesca Rudkin: Move on orders put Police in an awkward position · Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: So the move On Order's Amendment Bill has passed its
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  Speaker 1: first reading in Parliament. This is the bill that would
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  Speaker 1: give police the power to issue move on orders to
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  Speaker 1: rough sleepers or people begging in the streets or obstructing
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  Speaker 1: entrance ways. Submissions to the bill closed next month. Now.
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  Speaker 1: The majority of Auckland City councilors agree did this week
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  Speaker 1: that they want begging and rough sleeping to be taken
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  Speaker 1: out of these proposed move on orders. They see the
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  Speaker 1: proposed legislation very much as a tool to deal with destructive,
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  Speaker 1: disorderly and threatening behaviors, not to further marginalize those who
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  Speaker 1: are already struggling. At the end of the day, the
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  Speaker 1: action taken will be at the discretion of the police.
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  Speaker 1: This is what Police Commissioner Richard Chambers told Kerry Woodham
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  Speaker 1: this week on Newstalk be Mornings.
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  Speaker 2: The intent of move on orders is to give police
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  Speaker 2: a mechanism to remove someone who's exhibiting antisocial behavior, who's
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  Speaker 2: a nuisance to any community, just wanting to get on
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  Speaker 2: and do what it does. This is not about targeting
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  Speaker 2: homeless people, as some seem to have interpreted that. This
• 1:00
  Speaker 2: is just about giving the police the opportunity to deal
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  Speaker 2: with people who keep creating a nuisance.
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  Speaker 1: The bill is the bill in its current state. It
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  Speaker 1: puts the police in an awkward position because it is
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  Speaker 1: being sold to us as a bill it is going
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  Speaker 1: to get rid of homelessness in city centers. It gives
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  Speaker 1: the impression police will be out on the beat daily,
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  Speaker 1: moving on those sleeping rough from doorways or bust outers,
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  Speaker 1: and then all of a sudden, homelessness will disappear and
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  Speaker 1: we don't have to think about it again. In theory,
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  Speaker 1: this sounds good. It will make city centers safer and
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  Speaker 1: more welcoming. Respond to the business communities concern that rough
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  Speaker 1: sleepers harm economic activity and help connect homeless people to
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  Speaker 1: support services. But we all know that the issue of
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: homelessness is complicated and nuanced, and that temporarily removing the
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: problem from site does nothing to fix the problem. The
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  Speaker 1: Police Association said it would be a drain on resources, retail.
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  Speaker 1: New Zealand welcomes new tools for police but doubts their
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  Speaker 1: long term usefulness, and those who deal with homelessness aren't impressed.
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  Speaker 1: In short, no one seems convinced by this bill. So
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  Speaker 1: the move on law may provide businesses and the wider
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  Speaker 1: public with short term relief from visible homelessness and antisocial behavior,
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  Speaker 1: but without meaningful investment in housing and support services at
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  Speaker 1: risks criminalizing vulnerable people, fracturing service access, and just merely
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  Speaker 1: sweeping the problem under the rug. Police will use the
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  Speaker 1: law to move people on who are causing a disturbance
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  Speaker 1: and to get people the care and support they need.
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  Speaker 1: But it's not going to work as it's being sold.
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  Speaker 1: Simplifying the bill to reflect this reality isn't a bad idea.
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  Speaker 1: The legislation as proposed is about optics and it won't
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  Speaker 1: fix the issue. For more from earlier edition with Ryan Bridge.
• 2:39
  Speaker 2: Listen live to News Talks at B from five am weekdays,
• 2:43
  Speaker 2: or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio