The proposed "tough on crime" ram-raid bill would be "ineffective and detrimental" if it became law, according to youth development worker AJ Hendry.
Earlier this year, the now outgoing Prime Minister Chris Hipkins announced the first part of a significant "crackdown" on youth crime with three changes that impose "accountability and consequences".
In announcing the changes, he said "the system needs a shake-up" and that "Kiwis have had a guts-full of people acting as if the rules don't apply to them".
"I have had a guts-full of that as well."
The ram-raid bill would make the smash and grab sprees a new offence, applicable to children from age 12.
Those aged 15 or older, could be sent to prison for up to 10 years.
A collective of children and youth advocates have written an open letter to political leaders, calling for them to withdraw support from the ram raid bill.
Speaking to Breakfast this morning, Hendry, who is involved with Kick Back, one of the organisations who put their name to the letter, said one of his main concerns is that the bill isn't evidence based.
"It's criminalising children, and kids that do not have the cognitive function even to understand adequately what their doing, it will cause greater harm in our communities in the future."
Hendry said he "100% agrees" more needs to be done, but the proposed bill has some issues.
"These children come from contexts of abuse, harm, and poverty, we can do more to ensure they're getting the support they need at a community level to prevent them from causing harm."
Also speaking to Breakfast this morning, Waikato liquor retailer and victim of ram-raids Ash Parmar, said crime has gone "completely" out of control in the last six years.
"All the data says youth offending is going down, but a very small number of kids that are doing this stuff."
He said while there should be some changes to the legislation, but he still supports it.
"It doesn't talk about sending kids to jail, it talks about sending them to youth facilities earlier in the piece, and surely that is the need of the hour.
"You're looking at these kids doing 13, 14, 15, ram-raids but they're getting dropped off home again and again. Police are fed up as well because they cannot do their work."
He said some of the kids committing ram-raids do need to go to a facility run by corrections for a "higher level of intervention".
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