IS AUCKLAND A VOILENT CITY NOW?

[imported_new2nz]

Hi Everyone,

I must admit - after the shooting of the 23 year old guy in Pakuranga (Auckland) last week and now a 44 year old man in Mangere Bridge - what are we coming to?? Is it safe to go shopping late at night? is it safe to go to the bank?? OR even worse is it safe to go to work in a retail shop??? This guy is being obeyed to the letter - he is demanding money and being given it - THEN he is shooting people outright in the head to thank them for their obediance - what is he facing if he gets caught (which he is NOT yet) - he's facing approx 15 years jail (sentence) - out in 7 - does this bother anyone else? Someone that can kill a 23 year old BABY getting ready to live his life, a 44 year old father - someone's DADDY! is going to be either not caught and roaming our streets in Auckland OR caught and let out in approx 7 years - sorry to repeat myself but WOW! I was born in Auckland, grew up in Auckland and am now considering moving to the South Island - I'd prefer to be COLD than DEAD! Shouldn't this guy be looking at LIFE in prison (LIFE meaning, until he dies???) and the only way to get less time inside is to give the people he killed back their lives!

What does everyone think????

[netchicken]

Lets not mistake a lone nut with a gun for a crime wave, sure there are some bad crime at the moment, but we are still a VERY safe country to live in. (Mind you the further south you move the safer it is.

However I agree that it is getting worse, I notice that the police ask for help in identifying sustpects but rarely offer any clue as to what tehy look like, its a strange contradiction, this morning was the first time they showed a pic of the guy.

[imported_RobertH]

While I am sickened by the atrocious slayings in Auckland earlier this year, I would like to think that this was a once-off event and that Auckland was still a safe and livable area. Auckland, while small on the world stage, offers so much other Cities and nations neglect.

One of the first that my thought is bought to is the notion of tolerance. While we still take a swing at the sheer numbers of Asian individuals who make their way onto our shores making those of us who are born and bred in New Zealand feel washed out in some areas, I do not know of any long term local individual who holds any negative bias against an individual on the basis of age, religion, culture or race. Surely this is a merit to our society. Auckland is fast becoming probably one of the world’s largest multinational centers. I think this is fantastic. When I play basketball we have people from every inhabited continent, and everyone interacts as equals. The Australian population seems to be awful to the aborigines still, yet we choose to walk side by side with all cultures; surely this is a facet of a great place.

Second New Zealand is still safe, esp., Auckland. When we actually consider the population of New Zealand, slightly over a quarter live in Auckland, yet most of the high-profile crimes are not from Auckland, and I'd be game enough to say less than the population percentage. The shooting spree in south Auckland was the biggest crime to humanity in Auckland in a long time. When we look at others, David Bane - Dunedin, Mike Lundy - Palmerston North, Ben Smart and Olivia Hope - Blehnam, Theresa McCormack - Napier, Kirsty Bently - Ashburton, A Massacre in tranquil mountain set Rarimu, In the space of a year, admittedly two large atrocities have happened in Auckland, (In reference to the RSA massacre), but most High Profile Cases seem to occur outside of Auckland, I think this is an indication that the Crime Rate of Auckland may be below the national average. And recently, having traveled to LA and NYC, I can fairly say that a sense of security has been lost and I long to return in order to regain this emotion.

Third, Auckland is clean. Say what you will about how many people are killed by Auckland’s air every year, but have you ever been to LA. From the crown of the Hollywood Hills, you can see NOTHING; the smog is so thick that you want to cut it with a knife. From sitting on the great Hollywood sign, If you didn't know better you would never know that a great city existed beyond the bounds of the foothills.

Four, Auckland is human. While a world-scale city, Auckland, alike parts of Sydney, has maintained a certain sense of Community and Nature. People in New York don't seem to want to belong to a community, as it is all-inclusive. A more exclusive option is a Country Club. This is a limiting factor, I believe, to their social development and harbors arrogance. Auckland has remained open-minded it would seem about new ideals of other people, preferences and cultures (in reference to my first point) allowing the development of community, an all inclusive body, that makes the guest feel more than welcome and of course makes the place homely. Also the access to reserves, parks, even stretches of grass, and beautiful ones at that, is easy and fantastic. New York is to Auckland as a Tractor is to a Dog, Larger, un-natural and Highly Mechanical and Utilitarian. You can walk for hours in New York and not see a tree, They all seem to be concentrated in Central Park, So you're lucky if you live close enough otherwise you probably will go by your day only seeing the creation of man, and trust me, it gets as boring and mundane as hell.

Last I'd like to touch on the fact that Auckland possesses a city-dwellers lifestyle which is second-to-none, While most parts still possess communities, many social activities occur which, I’m sure, are omitted in other large places. Devonport (Which is in Auckland) is a prime example, when something in town happens it really happens, and all of the Devonporters know and are exited like a small child at Christmas. Coupled with this, a vast array of pastimes are available, including cultural and sports clubs, what could be dubbed tourist attractions, events such as "music in parks" a personal fav. (Thanks Star Bucks) and of course the Ocean and the Islands. The Hauraki Gulf had a plethora of Island sanctuaries from the low-key "hustle and bustle" of city life. Most people have access to a boat of some sort and I would fairly say that all Aucklanders use the privilege of enjoying the beautiful and safe waters that surround the city (Of course I'm not excluding the fact that some are horrible).

My point, Auckland seems alive and Natural, not mechanical, such as other places. Auckland is by no means Violent, but I feel it necessary that one comes to terms with the fact that sometimes things happen, It can be anywhere and anytime, and I truly believe that in Auckland it is less likely to happen than most other populated places on the face of the earth, to avoid it would mean solitude and you don’t want to become a hermit do you?

[imported_Tenshi]

people in new zealand don't know what violence is. if they came to the UK, then they will know what violence is. despite handguns being illegal since the dunblane massacre in 1996, we still have a bit of a gun culture.

the other day in birmingham, 2 teenage girls at a party in a salon were killed in a hail of machine gun bullets. the people who fired the weapons were from one of birmingham's many gangs and they meant to kill rival gang members who were at the party, but they got the 2 girls instead. i think they were passing by the salon in a car. there may be drugs wars being waged by black gangs on the streets on britain. nowhere in this country is it safe now to walk the streets at night on your own, especially in the big cities in england. the chances are that you WILL see somebody carrying a gun. london is more dangerous than new york and any englishman going to live in new zealand would think that new zealand is the safest place on earth.

but as a patriotic brit, i would not dream on leaving this very wealthy country. especially to a country like new zealand that i know nothing about.

[imported_Tenshi]

gun crime in the UK has risen by 35% in the past year. on average, there are 25 offences involving firearms in the UK every DAY. the increase included a 46% percent rise in the use of handguns and a 34% rise in robberies using guns. almost 10,000 firearms offences were recorded in the last year.