8. Question No. 8—PoliceHon MARK MITCHELL (National—Whangaparāoa) to the Minister of PoliceQuestion No. 8—Police8. Hon MARK MITCHELL (National—Whangaparāoa) to the Minister of Police: Does she stand by her statement my number one focus is to make sure New Zealanders feel safe" and what percentage of youths who commit retail crime face court action?Hon GINNY ANDERSEN (Minister of Police): Yes. As Minister of Police I want to ensure that every New Zealander feels safe. Of the 481 youth or under-18s who've had proceedings against them for burglary offences in retail locations between February and October 2022 234 have faced court action 112 have had a family group conference five have been referred to youth aid 35 have had warnings two have been referred to Te Pae Oranga and 94 have not had further action taken against them. This highlights that our youth justice system aims to keep children and young people out of the formal criminal justice system. Steering young people away from a life of crime and ensuring that they don't get caught up in the justice system increases the chances they will reach their full potential.Hon Mark Mitchell: Were Police too slow to roll out the retail crime prevention fund?Hon GINNY ANDERSEN: The Police have gone a good job in terms of the retail crime prevention fund and it has been promising to see that the uptake is now over 2000 of those interventions that have taken place.Hon Mark Mitchell: Point of order Mr Speaker. Thank you Mr Speaker. My question was very clear short and concise: were Police too slow to roll out the retail crime prevention fund?SPEAKER: I'm pretty sure the Minister said no.Hon Mark Mitchell: If the Minister said no then does she agree with the Prime Minister who said in response to a question around the retail crime prevention fund "police could have been faster [in] rolling that out"?Hon GINNY ANDERSEN: To be clear what I said was that Police have rolled out 2352 to be precise. Of the eligible stores across both programmes which is the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment fog cannon scheme there have been a large number of interventions in that space. As of 30 March 2023 there's been a whole range of interventions provided and I am pleased with the speed of the roll-out in both of those schemes.Hon Mark Mitchell: Point of order Mr Speaker. I'm just seeking your guidance. Both the police Minister and the Prime Minister have been critical of the Police and their roll-out of the retail crime prevention fund. I have asked a question on notice and then I've asked a very clear succinct question to the Minister. They said that she answered that—I didn't hear any answer to either of those questions.SPEAKER: That was my interpretation of what I heard—I possibly should have said it had been addressed. But in the way the Minister addressed it it sounded like "no" to me.Hon Mark Mitchell: Could Police have been faster?Hon GINNY ANDERSEN: The Prime Minister has noted that the initial roll-out was slow and I tend to agree with that. But now as Minister of Police in the time I have been in place I am happy with the fact that 2352 have been rolled out across New Zealand in addition to the fog cannon scheme which has been rolling out incredibly well.Hon Mark Mitchell: Is it fair for Labour politicians to blame the Police for the slow roll-out and the knee-jerk political reaction to a tsunami of retail offending given that Police warned that it would take several months?SPEAKER: The Minister's not responsible for addressing what other members of Parliament say."