Premium Debate: New Zealand has changed, and not for the better – Bay of Plenty Times

Not so long ago, most Kiwis could afford a house, writes a subscriber. Photo / George Novak

OPINIONAfter a terrifying encounter with a shirtless man yelling threats and obscenities at mothers with children in a Tauranga playground, Bay of Plenty Times columnist Sonya Bateson argued that addressing poverty can reduce crime and increase public safety.

Read the full column: Sonya Bateson: Anti-social behaviour in Tauranga has ramped up

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It has been my experience that a major cause of anti-social behaviour is due to that person not having any faith in that society. That society has not given them a fair go so why should they behave by the norms of that society.

When I first arrived in NZ as a Pommie immigrant some 50 years ago, I was very impressed by the friendly, respectful behaviour of Kiwis. A very pleasant change from the major UK city I had come from.

If you research the stats on incomes you will notice that then, there was a very much smaller range in salaries from top to bottom. Houses were affordable for the majority of Kiwis.

This is not the same society it used to be. Very many simply cannot wait to get away, or to take what they believe should be accessible to them. Very sad to see the changes over the last 50 years, very few of which have been for the better.Alexander M

It happens all over the country, from Far North to deep South: steep rise in anti-social behavior, and crime. And all too often, no police in sight.

We seem to drift fast back into the Wild West, including guns blazing ... And nothing is being done, or even attempted, to counter the trend. Certainly not by the Government.Alexander G

Harsher penalties or treatment have little effect on crime rates. By far the most effective factor for reducing crime rates is the risk of detection, apprehension and risk (rather than severity) of law enforcement consequences.

Immediate consequences are more effective than delayed consequences.

In view of the many surveillance cameras that have cost us our privacy, it's difficult to understand why people are getting away with antisocial behaviour without being detected and apprehended.Hans L

More Police. More money thrown into the bottomless pit of welfare. More Freudian reflection. That's what this society is good for. And the results speak for themselves.Kevyn H

Where did that $1.9b for mental health go again?Kathryn M

If you Google it, you will find that the $1.9 billion was spread over 2019 to 2024 so it hasn't all been allocated yet.

There have been 234 new training positions made available this year for RNs to undertake specialist mental health training.

Part of the problem is the closing down of long-term mental health facilities since the 1960s, as they were found to be places of abuse rather than care, so we are left with community care that has never had sufficient funding or support to do the job properly.

There are some people who need to be in a safe and caring institutional setting but that is not how our mental health service operates now.Gina S

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Premium Debate: New Zealand has changed, and not for the better - Bay of Plenty Times