Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is set to continue his focus on law and order policies as he holds his post-Cabinet press conference today.

It follows Luxon’s ride-along with Auckland police on Saturday night and yesterday’s media stand-up during which Luxon and Police Minister Mark Mitchell welcomed police data showing assaults were decreasing in Auckland’s CBD.

Luxon is expected to be joined by Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith and is likely to address his Government’s law and order policies.

The press conference begins at 4pm and will be livestreamed at the top of this article.

Luxon and Mitchell spoke to media from Auckland Central police station yesterday to celebrate police data showing a 22% reduction in serious assaults in the Auckland CBD in the period from January to July this year compared to the same period last year.

There had been an 18% reduction in serious assaults resulting in injury in that time as well.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Police Minister Mark Mitchell spoke from Auckland Central police station. Photo / Alex Burton

In May, Mitchell chaired the first of now regular meetings between Auckland Council, Kāinga Ora, the Ministry of Social Development, ratepayers’ groups, business associations and social service providers to develop a strategy to improve safety in the city.

He said the co-ordinated approach had led to 97 people being referred to accommodation, addiction and family wellbeing support between July 1 and September 10.

That came alongside efforts to reduce the use of emergency housing, with 68% fewer households in emergency housing in the CBD since May.

That was a reduction from 53 households to 17. Mitchell said it included the closing of two emergency motels.

Mitchell did not describe any link between emergency housing tenants and crime rates.

Luxon said emergency housing tenants often had complex issues and therefore needed support from social services.

Labour police spokeswoman Ginny Andersen said she was concerned about the Government’s approach to crime reduction.

“Pushing people out to the suburbs does not address the causes of crime.

“These people need help and the Government has so far spent a year in government cutting funding from frontline services and are yet to announce what will fill the gap now that police are pulling back on mental health callouts.”

Adam Pearse is a political reporter in the NZ Herald Press Gallery team, based at Parliament. He has worked for NZME since 2018, covering sport and health for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei before moving to the NZ Herald in Auckland, covering Covid-19 and crime.