7. Question No. 7—PoliceGOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN (Green) (remote) to the Minister of PoliceQuestion No. 7—Police7. GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN (Green) (remote) to the Minister of Police: Does she agree that youth offending is driven by income deprivation mental health challenges and trauma; if so how will $500 million for more police on the street reduce youth offending?Hon POTO WILLIAMS (Minister of Police): Yes. This Government is committed to addressing the drivers of offending which requires an all-of-community response. It is important to note that while Budget 2022 sees a record investment into our police this is not just funding for more police officers. Of the $562 million $208 million is to deliver the firearms register which will help us fill the 30-year information deficit when it comes to firearms in our communities. There is $94 million for prevention programmes such as Resilience to Organised Crime in Communities which will see police the Ministry of Social Development and other agencies working with communities and whānau to address the drivers of offending and there is $12 million to provide more support for victims of serious crime. The additional funding through Budget 2022 is about having a strong enforcement capability available while at the same time having smart prevention programmes in place.Golriz Ghahraman: Is the Minister aware that approximately 90 percent of young people who are detained have what is described as a serious learning disability and on average have had at least two traumatic life events; if so how will more police on the streets address this?Hon POTO WILLIAMS: To address youth offending we need an all-of-community response and police recognise their role in that. That's why we've added 109 more police officers to work directly with our young people over the past two years. These staff are trained to deal with our most at-risk youth.Golriz Ghahraman: Will more police on the street be counterproductive in keeping rangatahi Māori safe from harm and crime when young Māori are more than seven times more likely to be on the receiving end of police force and nine times more likely to be tasered by police than Pākehā in similar circumstances?Hon POTO WILLIAMS: This is an issue that both the commissioner and I are committed to addressing. The police have developed Te Huringa o Te Tai strategy which is developed in partnership with iwi Māori and addresses concerns and helps to reduce victimisation offending and injuries amongst Māori.Golriz Ghahraman: Does she agree with the former Children's Commissioner Judge Andrew Becroft that remanding children and young people in police cells together with adult detainees is completely unacceptable and if so will she divert the funding into addressing this breach in police cells?Hon POTO WILLIAMS: I do agree and police do take age into account when placing people in custody and do separate age groups where possible. Using a police cell for young people is the last resort. Specialised youth facilities operated by Oranga Tamariki provide a better environment for young people than police cells.Golriz Ghahraman: Does she agree that the funding for more police on the street would be better spent both for police and for communities to boost the incomes of families living in poverty given that social and income deprivation is shown to be the main cause of youth offending?Hon POTO WILLIAMS: What I would agree with is that our communities tell us that more police on the street means more visibility which means they feel safer in their homes. I think the police are required to undertake their role as dealing with offenders and that is the appropriate response for us.Hon Stuart Nash: Has she seen any correlation between an increase in police numbers and an increase in proactive policing and therefore a decrease in people on a pathway to prison?Hon POTO WILLIAMS: Yes I have and on top of that I have seen many programmes that police deliver that help to keep our youth out of offending including Te Pae Oranga which this Budget will increase by a further $8 million and it will secure the 20th site which helps our young people stay out of the justice system.