Our Monday quotes are normally short, to the point and pithy. Today's offering is a bit longer than usual, but because it touches on an issue that we feel strongly about, we've cut the author some slack.
So here's today's Monday Quote, courtesy of Michael Laws in yesterday's Sunday Star-Times:
Police chase policy is relatively simple. If there is a palpable danger to life, then they are to abandon the chase. It will be for the suitable authorities to determine whether that policy was applied in this particular case.
But the wider issue remains. Is the existing policy actually encouraging miscreants to flee?
The individual at the heart of this tragedy probably assumed, and rightly, that driving recklessly through red lights in downtown Christchurch would be too risky for any following police. He gambled and two other people lost.
And yet the wonder is that this kind of tragedy does not happen more often. It soon will. We have bred a group of feral anti-socials who regard reckless endangerment, and outwitting the police, as their especial entertainment. They will attempt to evade capture irrespective of any policy. It's part of the fun.
In a couple of months the public will be introduced to this moron as he stands in the dock facing charges. He will be clean-shaven, wearing a clean shirt and feigning contrition. He may go to prison, he may not. The point is, surely, that he should.
But even if he ends up as the plaything of Bubba, his incarceration will be minor compared to the couple who had their lives so carelessly scrubbed.
At which point, yet again, our society loses a little more faith in the justice system. Indeed the term seems oxymoronic – because justice is for this 20-something to be banged up forever for killing a couple.
We could not agree more strongly.
1 comment:
"Kuri Tutae" was identified some 7/8 years ago as heading for a disaster such as this and throwing a good deal of money at his salvation, a special pilot reform initiative, "Marae/Iwi/Whanau" intervention and police/public attempts made very little difference to this outcome, other than possibly delaying it.
He failed to access the army and a great job opportunity when his attitude and or failed drugs tests caused impediments to progress. Pathetic intervention as he embarked on the actual destructive events that culminated in tragedy on Fitzgerald Av illustrated the sort of wet bus ticket attempts to stop the self destructive behavior at any stage, they just caused "road Bump" hiccups along the way.
I could outline the basics of the mitigation plea that will accompany his pre-sentence report and it will omit reference to his failure to accept advice, mentoring, well intentioned but ignored guidance in his life and his personal choices of drug use, educational achievements, and work opportunities largely predicated on his bone idleness and ability to survive to the grand old age of 22 by way of benefit dependence and the charity of his family.
IMHO he has never had a shred of personal responsibility in his whole miserable life and the "known to police" tag applied in the aftermath of the "killing by fleeing" was at best the understatement of the year.
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