Simon Bridges National Party MP simonbridges.co.nz

Thank you to the many of you in the Tauranga electorate who filled out my survey, which canvassed your views on the important local issues here in the city. During the next month or so, I'll be sharing with you here the key themes from your feedback, and what I'd do to address these matters.

Today I want to address law and order, which is one of the key concerns many of you have.

Seventytwo per cent of you said to me Tauranga is experiencing 'more” or 'much more” crime in response to the question: ‘What do you think about crime in Tauranga?'; while 64 per cent of you told me you feel safe in Tauranga, 34 per cent of you told me you either don't feel safe in Tauranga or are 'unsure”.

Meanwhile, in response to the question: ‘What is the most important local Tauranga issue for you?' many of you gave me feedback centred on law and order. This included growing gangs and gang violence, feeling unsafe in the CBD or at night, more crime in your neighbourhoods, and Police not showing up to crime in your neighbourhoods.

Your feedback matches what we know to be true statistically. Under Labour, patched gang members have grown by about 50 per cent here in Tauranga, and we are now home to more than 1500 patched gang members and many hundreds more ‘prospect' members. We know more gangs equals more crime and thus more victims – it's that simple.

Worryingly though, Labour continues to take a soft on crime approach and are thus turning a blind eye to the reality that many of you aren't feeling safe here in Tauranga.

As I've said here before, the solutions aren't that difficult. I would be both tough on crime while addressing the underlying causes of crime. Firstly, we need a beefed-up Police gang unit here in Tauranga to tackle the gangs head on. Secondly, we need an intensive case management programme across agencies to address anti-social behaviour and crime across our communities. Thirdly, we immediately need more beds for our homeless, mentally unwell and drug addicted.

Finally, I see council as being able to play a role in addressing the more ‘minor' end of crime such as anti-social behaviour in and around the CBD. I urge them to reinstate measures such as the so-called ‘begging bylaw' that, while controversial, proved successful in terms of making residents feel safer when out and about.