Rocky road for CBD crim ban?

Repeat offenders may soon be cleared out of Rotorua's central business district.
District councillors have voted to send to Parliament a local bill to give police the power to ban repeat offenders from the central city for three months.
The Community Safety (Rotorua CBD) Bill will allow police to issue a Community Safety Notice to anyone convicted of at least five dishonesty-related offences in the CBD in the past five years. Any breach could lead to a fine of up to $1000 or three months' jail.
It can't come soon enough for Graeme Entwisle, who owns Rotorua Planet Nomad Backpackers on Fenton St. He says it would stop a small minority of people ruining Rotorua's reputation as a safe place.
This week an overseas tourist had the windows of her car smashed twice and he wonders if it may have been avoided if a ban was in force.
Rotorua MP Steve Chadwick will introduce the bill to Parliament for debate within the next month. From there it may be referred to a select committee for public submissions and must go through three readings in parliament before being passed or rejected. It could become legislation within a year.
Rotorua police approached the Rotorua District Council last July to about ways to reduce central city crime, two thirds of which is dishonesty-related.
A local bill was drafted following legal advice that the proposed ban, using powers under the Trespass Act, could be challenged in court. A team of council managers, police area commander Bruce Horne and legal advisers have worked on the bill for almost a year. It was shown to councillors at a special council meeting yesterday.
Rotorua Mayor Kevin Winters is confident the bill will be passed and hopeful it will happen by Christmas 2008.
The plan had widespread community support but he expected plenty of debate in Parliament because it was in conflict with the Bill of Rights, he said.
Councillors were told there were safeguards in the bill to protect the up to 30 offenders at whom the bill is aimed.
As of right, they would still be allowed into the central city for emergency treatment for themselves or others needing their help and with written police approval could attend court, educational institutes, business appointments and job interviews.
The central city is bounded by, and includes, Ranolf St, Amohau St, Rangiuru St and the edge of Lake Rotorua via Sulphur Point to Memorial Dr. It also initially included Rotorua Hospital but was amended to exclude it.
Councillor Russell Judd was the only one to vote against sending the bill to Parliament.
He said it was not tough enough and offenders would find ways around it.
He also wanted the hospital included, saying the type of people targeted by the bill were the type to steal from hospitals.