"Anything is on the table" when it comes to ways of stopping drivers fleeing police, Judith Collins says.
The Police Minister has met with Police Commissioner Mike Bush and has told them to "look at all the options" of ways to stop runaway drivers in an attempt to crack down on the behaviour.
The issue of fleeing drivers has raced into the headlines lately, including one crash in Kumeu, north of Auckland, in which a 5-month-old baby was injured in a crash.
Two 15 year olds died in Masterton following a police pursuit last month a 14-year-old boy has been charged in relation to it.
"I've told them to think outside the square, look at a suite of options, do stuff that is not necessarily politically correct or incorrect; just look at everything and come back with a suite of options so we can look at them."
She said police were not reviewing their own policy on fleeing drivers, but rather providing suggestions on how Government legislation can be used to change behaviour.
"I've said to police, come back to me with all of your suggestions around what we can do on deterrents, on how we can prevent this happening in the first place and that's on legislative changes and anything else.
"I'm saying anything is on the table if you want to bring it to me because I think we need to deal with this issue and we need to deal with it at the source which is why do some people think they don't have to obey the law and they put everyone else's lives at risk to continue their criminal actions?"
Ms Collins vowed to resign if she ever decided to support measures which meant police "give up roads to criminals".
"I would resign rather than to do that."
Asked whether she was about to get tougher on those fleeing police, she said: "Well, I'm certainly not going to get any softer".
The Independent Police Conduct Authority has called for police to urgently review their policy on fleeing drivers.
Newshub.
