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Thread: Interesting Facts - NZ vs the UK

  1. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Danpoll
    I have heard from various sources of the maori social problem, that gang wars and social drinking cause a lot of issues.
    There aren't really any gang 'wars' going on here, haven't been for years, but they do sometimes have what would be called skirmishes - that is, a car load from one gang may have a barney with a car load from another gang. Occasionally a few shots may get fired, but it's usually knives or 'blunt instruments' that are used.

    Are maoris an oppressed population which would only cause the spiraling effects from that.
    Hardly oppressed - although some of the radicals still seem to think they are! However, Maoris do account for about 40% of the prison population, which is a lot when they only make up about 10 - 12% of the general population.

    I was thinking the other day that how difficult it must be to get drugs into New Zealand.
    It still happens at most airports, but most of it gets intercepted now.

    P, or methamphetamine based drugs, are the current major problem here, especially since almost anyone can manufacture them at home. The gangs are big players in P manufacture.

  2. #12
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    Anywhere there are human beings there will be crime but I do not believe that NZ is any way as bad as this. From the same size population base, up to yesterday we had NINE people shot and injured in the previous THREE days in Dublin and a few people stabbed (don't have the exact numbers on this) around the country. A young girl raped (snap) and a man who tried to stop a fight is now fighting for his life in hospital.
    Happy New Year eh?

  3. #13
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    This particular Atlas doesn't show anything on poverty, and I'm not sure what would. It does say that only 14% of the population live rural, so 86% are "city" dwellers, with the inherent problems that go with that.

    It also goes on to say that 77% of the population is European with just 12% being Maori.

    This is a Financial Times, revised 2004 Atlas, so is as "trustworthy" as you can believe the FT :?

    It's interesting to read all your experiences. I think it's very important to know both the bad and the good side before making such a life changing move. It's very worrying about the 14 year old being dragged from her bed in the middle of the night. :eek

    We're lucky here in the IOM, there is 0.5% unemployment, very little "serious" crime, (but murders have happened) There is a heavy drink problem with the associated scuffles etc., but they are not at all tolerant here; the local paper makes amusing reading with people being arrested for defacing wheelie bins or swearing at the police. They have a policy here that if you are banned from one bar in town you are banned from them all. It generally feels quite safe.

    I think being in NZ we will have to become more vigilant, as if we were in the UK or similar. I'm sure it's often a case of knowing where not to go

    On a final "girlie" note - it says that NZ was the first country in the world to give women the right to vote in 1893 - now that has to be worth something

  4. #14
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    It's true - NZ was the first country to give women the vote.

    My father in law still spits feathers about it !!!!

    Diny

  5. #15
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    "It's true - NZ was the first country to give women the vote. "
    AND, NZ has many women in significant positions of power today!!

    I recently moved away from Washington, DC. We lived in somewhat constant fear of another terrorist attack (I'm sure many in England can relate): I carried a gas mask on the subway, I passed swat-style military with automatic rifles and bomb-sniffing dogs on the way to work every day, I worked close to Capitol Hill where there were many bomb threats and evacutations, my apartment building received notices about potential bomb threats... I realize this is not the same at all as experiencing a serious crime yourself but it is one thing I will be happy to get away from!

  6. #16
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    Reading the local papers over here, it doesn't take much to get in them. So any crime is routinely covered here. Road accidents are a favourite, I believe we had 9 people kill them or others on the roads over Christmas week, and all were covered on the national news. How many in the UK or US, and how many covered in the National press??
    There are the same bad people everywhere, buit due to the smaller population over here, there are less. Yes there are problem areas, and gangs like the Mongrel mob, but who can say snap the fastest??
    I was reading today about a guy who stopped to help a broken down car, and was stabbed, plus there's that girl stabbed and raped in her own home.

  7. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by KD17
    It's very worrying about the 14 year old being dragged from her bed in the middle of the night. :eek
    That happened in one of Auckland's more trouble prone suburbs, namely the south Auckland suburb of Wiri. That area has a high Maori/Polynesian population, and, as a result, tends to have a higher crime rate than other parts of Auckland. The person they're looking for is Polynesian, given the description that the victim supplied to the police.

  8. #18
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    Have to agree with Diny that lots of people seem to feel duty bound to protect poor wee NZ against all the naysayers who threaten its pristine reputation!

    Crime is a funny one because it's as much perception as reality. Here in Rotovegas, police statistics show that levels of crime are falling...but with the media jumping on every tourist mugging that happens and splatting it across the front page, no-one believes the police stats and perceives there to be a real crime problem. Hence to dodgy reputation of Rotovegas. Also it's a small country with a small population - crime makes the news regularly for lack of anything else to report!

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