NZ Police is proud to support White Ribbon Day and will be participating in a number of events around the country to mark the occasion.
Police Commissioner and White Ribbon Ambassador Mike Bush says White Ribbon Day is an important day on the Police calendar every year.
“White Ribbon’s campaign to eliminate violence against women is one that is close to the heart of every police officer in New Zealand,” says Mr Bush.
“Family violence causes great harm in our communities. It accounts for 41 per cent of frontline Police response time and many of the people we deal with for other crimes have come from violent homes.”
“NZ Police works closely with our partner agencies, iwi and NGOs on this important issue. We have all seen first-hand the damage that is done by family violence and we all want to see an end to it.”
The theme of this year’s White Ribbon campaign is ‘Respectful Relationships’ – in short, say yes to respectful relationships and no to violence towards women.
“The key to preventing family violence is changing attitudes – particularly among men, who are responsible for the vast majority of violence that occurs in the home,” says Mr Bush.
“More than 3,500 convictions are recorded against men each year for assaults on women, and on average 14 women a year are killed by their partners or ex-partners. The toll that this violence takes on our families and communities is horrific and 12,000 police are committed to putting a stop to it.”
For information on White Ribbon activities in your area, and to access the White Ribbon Toolbox, visit www.whiteribbon.org.nz.
ENDS
Issued by Rachel Purdom, Public Affairs, PNHQ - 021 908 101