Let's get tough on tourism crime: Lawyer

Rotorua is leading a call for new laws that deal more harshly with criminals who prey on tourists and tarnish tourism centres' reputations.
The call for new charges follows yet another case involving angry visitors who were targeted three times in three days during a trip to Rotorua for a sporting event.
One of Rotorua's top defence lawyers, Jonathan Temm, has suggested a new charge be established to deter thieves from targeting visitors.
He envisages "theft from a tourist" could encompass anyone who breaks into cars parked at tourist hot spots - such as Kerosene Creek, Okere Falls and Huka Falls - and would carry a harsher maximum prison sentence than those offenders currently face.
His suggestion has won favour with Rotorua's tourism industry and Rotorua MP Steve Chadwick.
Mr Temm made the suggestion when asked for his views on what the justice system could do to deter criminals from targeting visitors.
When Chris Rutten, from Te Horo in Otaki, came to Rotorua with two other families recently they were victim to three serious thefts in three days. The families were staying at a motel in Rotorua while competing at a motocross championships at Horohoro.
On their first night in Rotorua, one of their motel rooms was broken into and clothing and two wallets were stolen. The next day, one of the women had her handbag, containing about $2000 worth of cash and property, stolen while she was inside a service station paying for petrol.
Overnight on the following day, the trailer parked outside the motel was broken into and a bike and equipment were stolen.


Mr Rutten said he doubted he and his friends would return to Rotorua.
"These thieves are obviously quite professional and are on the lookout for it."
He said if the thieves knew they faced harsher sentences, it could be a good start.
Destination Rotorua Tourism Marketing general manager Don Gunn said a specific tourism charge was a great idea.
Mr Gunn said it could apply to anyone who broke into motels and campervans as well as those who preyed on tourist hot spots.
"It could even be used if someone accosted a tourist on the street."
Mr Temm, who has been a Crown prosecutor in Rotorua, said thieves who preyed on tourists were usually professionals who saw visitors as easy targets.

Their crimes were premeditated and they often were aware the tourists would be gone in days and might not bother coming back for a court case.
"It doesn't matter if a tourist is from Dunedin or Duntroon, whether it is a campervan or a car.
"If you have gone to the Okere Falls carpark, you are targeting tourists.
"That's the crime, now create an offence to address it."
Mrs Chadwick applauded the discussion, saying it was great the ideas were flowing from a "tourist town".
"Good on [Mr Temm] for putting his thinking cap on. This is how policy changes."
Mrs Chadwick said such a change might not require a Private Members Bill, rather a Crimes Amendment Act.
She now wants to talk with local lawyers about how many clients they dealt with weekly who targeted tourists and what they hoped to achieve from an amendment.
"This is something I am prepared to do more work on."
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