Crime

MichelleW · Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2004 8:01 pm Post subject: Crime

This is from an email that I got from some people living in NZ that i've been emailing with.

<Crime is lower here, but it is still surprisingly high for a country with only 4 million people.There are a lot of shootings.
Gun ownership is high,its quite easy to buy high powered 2nd world war rifles for hunting in the bush. You are allowed to hunt for dear and wild boar here.>

I know there is no where on this earth that is crime free but I had thought there were hardly ever shootings there.And not many guns around.Any opinions on this? agree/Disagree?

Thanks,
Michelle

JCM · Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2004 8:14 pm Post subject:

Hi Michelle - out in the western suburbs here, the most crime I see is the odd bit of grafitti, which I HATE and, unfortunately, I've seen the glass smashed in one or two shelters at bus stops a few weeks back closer to the centre of town.

There are some areas of Chch where grafitti is a real problem though IMHO.

I know there's more crime out there than that, but from the perspective of a family man who doesn't go out on the town drinking etc late at night, in over five years here I haven't seen any crime or evidence of any crime except what's reported in the newspapers and on TV.

The gun laws are stricter here than the USA - people have rifles for hunting rather than hand guns and they keep the rifles locked up when they're not in use.

I don't go hunting so I never seen any guns. You need to undergo a police check before you can get a fire-arms licence. Not perfect by any means, but better than the USA I believe.

MichelleW · Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2004 1:17 pm Post subject:

Thanks so much JCM!! I wont worry too much then.

Clink

Michelle