Six Year Old Kids Take Dope To School

From NZHerald, 21 Sept 09

"Northland children as young as 6 years old are being caught with cannabis at school.

Police say many Northlanders smoke cannabis - this week it was revealed that of the 141,000 plants seized nationally in the 2008-09 season, almost half were in Northland - and many parents are exposing their children to the drug.

In the latest incident, two boys aged just 11 and 12 were caught with cannabis at Russell Primary School.

....In June, a 6-year-old boy brought 10 cannabis tinnies to Whangarei's Totara Grove School in a McDonald's bag. It is thought he had taken the bag to school by mistake.

Russell's sole police officer, Constable Mark Caswell, said finding primary school-aged children with cannabis was unusual - "but not as unusual as people think, sadly. How young some of these people are is quite incredible."

".....In Northland in 2007, 35 students were suspended for drug abuse from one primary, two intermediate and 13 secondary schools. Last year 12 students from five schools were suspended.

Tai Tokerau Principals' Association president Pat Newman said children brought cannabis to a primary school to"show and tell" friends or because their parents had asked them to give it to another child to pass to their parents.

However, schools dealt every day with the "disastrous" effects of cannabis, alcohol and methamphetamine (or P) on children's lives."

In a snapshot of what is going on elsewhere in NZ in June 2008 police told TVNZ that children taking and dealing drugs in school wasn't a "new issue" after 5 nine year old boys were caught smoking cannabis at Owhata primary school in Rotorua and that this sort of thing had been going on for 20 years.

At around the same time a quantity of cannabis was seized at Longford Intermediate school in Gore, and Westlake Boys School in Auckland asked 12 students to leave after a dealing ring was uncovered.

Then in July of this year 10 students from Lindisfarne College, Hastings were expelled and another seven suspended after another cannabis dealing ring was busted.

It's indicative that cannabis use amongst school children is a problem not just in Northland but throughout New Zealand, which has the highest rate of cannabis use in the OECD, the third highest Amphetamine use, and is placed second for both victims of crime and total crimes per capita:

NZ police say that most cannabis tinnie houses were selling-points for methamphetamine as well and that drugs and crime are well linked.

"Cannabis and meth come hand in hand now and there is a real link between drugs, stolen property, firearms and gangs."

It was probable most of the cannabis produced in Northland was destined for Auckland."

Man Charged For Ramming And Shooting At Elderly Couple

After another shocking assault on elderly people a man has been charged following the ramming of an couple on state highway 33 on the way to Rotorua on Saturday at 4.30am. Press reports say that after trying to run the couple off the road the man fired at them with a shotgun at close range.

Later the same morning a female driver was tail-gated by a driver 15km north of Rotorua. When forced to stop she was confronted with an axe.

Police made one arrest - a man will appear in court today on "firearms, driving, cannabis and explosives charges." Full story here: Road assaults in Rotorua

Another related news report gives slightly more information. "Rotorua man arrested after a string of violent incidents". It gives details of an armed offenders call-out to conduct a search of a private home.

The police were wise to act with extreme caution. In May a police officer was shot dead when a a routine cannabis bust went horribly wrong in Napier. Jan Molenaar holed himself up for days in an armed siege which ended with his death and left 3 people critically injured. See: Napier siege

For today's posts see: latest posts

400 Hundred Burglaries In 8 Weeks In Hawkes Bay

There have been 400 hundred burglaries reported in an 8 week period in Hawkes Bay according to an article in hawkesbay.co.nz, many of them were from homes left insecure or unlocked.

Other towns have also experienced similar crime waves, such as the small town of Martinborough which suffered 45 burglaries over an 11 days and led to the setting up of a vigilante group to protect local residents. See more: Small town NZ life - a town under siege.

John Key burgled by 'P' addict
Property crime strikes at every level of society within New Zealand, much of it is related to drug abuse. John Key's Remuera home was burgled by in 2007 by a 'P' user with 140 prior convictions who was recently sentenced to 5 years prison on 27 charges. It came as no surprise to hear that the man was out on bail or under supervision at the time of the offences.

Crime and drugs in New Zealand
According to data published by Nationmaster NZ holds the dubious reputation for having the world's highest reported figures for victims of crimes against property, 14.8% of the total population have been victimised by property crime.

It also has the world's highest percentage of cannabis users and the third highest percentage of amphetamine users over the age of 15.

For today's posts see: latest posts