The Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand opposes the inclusion of provisions that seek to increase punitive measures in response to offences against first responders and corrections officers (clauses 21-24). While we wholly support increasing protections for those providing essential, frontline care, people in acute mental health or substance-related distress cannot be reliably judged as having intent to injure or harm while in an altered state.
Evidence shows that increased penalties do not reduce harm to responders or tāngata whaiora. Punishment is not the answer - a preventative and whole-of-system approach to reducing violence against first responders is what works. This requires sustained investment in timely, community-based support to prevent crises from escalating, alongside the urgent development of a nationally cohesive, networked crisis response system.
We are concerned about the inevitable disproportionate harm to the most vulnerable in our community, and also to Māori, who already experience inequitable outcomes in areas of mental health and criminal justice.
The small minority of people who act aggressively during a mental health or substance-related crisis can, and often do, recover with appropriate support. We are against trapping people in a system that can compound existing harm, and support a therapeutic, rehabilitative approach.
Crimes Amendment Bill (pdf)