Ryan Bridge: The stories about violence in New Zealand are infuriating

I'm getting really angry reading these stories about violence in New Zealand, and I don't think that harsher sentences are going to stop them. 

I don't think that the gang patch ban is going to stop them, I don't think that wraparound services are going to stop them either. 

I'm talking here about Palmerston North's emergency Department yesterday, daylight doctors are at work, nurses are there. 

A cab driver has a minor accident with gang members in the hospital car park, gang members attack the cabbie, another cabbie comes to his rescue. 

He gets beaten up, one of the cabbies gets taken into the ED and hidden because the gang members were threatening to kill him. 

Cops arrive, two cops starting out, they get beaten up, the cop car gets attacked. 

This is daylight on a Wednesday in Palmerston North while people are trying to get health care. 

Six police cars end up having to come, they bring pepper spray and a taser and finally, the situation is brought under control. 

I mean this infuriates me; it makes me so angry hearing about this. But what's going to fix it? 

A Labour government, a National government? I don't think so. 

Wrap around services, harsher sentences, no, I don't believe it. 

I don't think in situations like this, they're listening to our politicians. 

I mean, what do you do? Take your own taser to the hospital? 

Probably the most reasonable response, I think. I mean, that's what sorted them out yesterday, isn't it? 

Get your tasers out. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
I'm getting really angry reading these stories about violence in
New Zealand, and I don't think that harsher sentences are
going to stop them. I don't think that the gang
patch ban is going to stop them. I don't think
that wrap around services are going to stop them either.
I'm talking here about Palmeston North Emergency Department. Yesterday daylight.

(00:23):
Doctors are at work, nurses are there. Cab driver has
a minor accident with gang members in the hospital car park.
Gang members attack the cabby. Another cabby comes to his rescue.
He gets beaten up, taken into one of the cabbies,
gets taken into the ed and hidden because the gang
members were threatening to kill him. Cops arrived, two cops

(00:44):
starting out, They get beaten up, the cop car gets attacked.
This is daylight on a Wednesday in Palmeston North, while
people are trying to get healthcare. Six police cars end
up having to come. They peper spray and they taser
and finally the situation under control. I mean, this makes me,
This infuriates me, makes me so angry hearing about this.

(01:06):
But what's going to fix it? A labor government, a
national government, I don't think so. You know wrap around services. No,
I don't believe it harsher sentences. I don't think in
situations like this, they're listening to our politicians. I mean,
what do you do? What do you do? Take your
own taser to the hospital probably the most reasonable response,

(01:31):
I think. I mean, that's what sort of them out yesterday,
isn't it get your tasers out? For more from Early
Edition with Ryan Bridge, listen live to news Talks. It'd
be from five am weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.