Tv icon Graham Bell says Ten 7 reveals a ‘cold, hard and uncomfortable truth’

Former Police Ten 7 host Graham Bell has spoken out in defense of the show after requests were made for it to be scrapped, arguing that critics should examine the causes of the crime.

Bell spoke to Newstalk ZB’s Kerre McIvor this morning after Auckland Councilor Ephesus Collins made a public call for TVNZ to stop broadcasting the highly rated reality show.

Collins says it feeds on racial stereotypes that young brunettes are brutal and described it as a “bubble gum television show.”

“Crime and all its awkward and unfortunate truths aren’t going to go away if you get rid of Ten 7, right?” Bell told McIvor.

“We have to face and accept that there is a problem instead of looking for ways to hide from it, that is my approach.”

When McIvor asked how the show decided which criminals to feature, Bell responded, “The police don’t select who they are looking for. The people who commit the crimes are the ones who select themselves to be wanted.”

“There is no prejudice towards any color, race, creed or any other type of person. Whoever you love today is the one who goes on the show. It’s as simple as that.

When asked, based on his experience in the police, if there was an inherent distrust of Maori and Pasifika, Bell replied: “It is very difficult not to develop a mild attitude towards a group of people who constantly offend.”

“It is an unfortunate fact that certain sectors of our society are extremely overrepresented in crime statistics,” he added.

“I don’t have the answer for that, but canceling a show like Police Ten 7 isn’t going to help.”

Bell, who hosted the show for more than 12 years, told McIvor: “Police work is tough. It takes courage and persistence in the face of a lot of criticism. This kind of criticism that is floating around right now is far from helpful. you have to say.”

“I would say that Mr. Collins is approaching this from the wrong side. Perhaps he should be looking at why we have this problem in our society.

“Do you want the police to ignore the crime if it is committed by dark people?”

Bell said New Zealand must focus on the social drivers of crime and to ignore the overrepresentation of Maori and Pasifika in crime statistics is “simply to ignore cold, harsh and uncomfortable truths.”

“There have been generations of family deficiencies by sections of our society that have created a lack of aspiration, a lack of self-esteem, a lack of self-respect and we see it everywhere,” Bell said.

“It is not just crime, we see it through society. There are sectors of our society that are overrepresented in our statistics and everyone in society would be better off if that were not the case.”

NZME has reached out to the producers of TVNZ and Police Ten 7 Screentime for comment on this story.

Earlier today, Race Relations Commissioner Meng Foon added his voice to calls to end Police Ten 7, saying the show reflects racist policing in New Zealand.

Speaking to Mike Hosking of Newstalk ZB, Foon said the show “targeted more brown people than white people, so it’s racist.”

Foon cited evidence that Maori and Pasifika were overwhelmingly more likely to be subjected to force by the police, such as the use of dogs and tasers.

When asked by Hosking if the statistics he cited more reflected the actions of those arrested, Foon was adamant.

“The police are racist,” he said.

He also defended the show, saying that Ten 7 was a “good program” that helped communities solve crime, but argued that they need to “proportionate the filming of brown people.”

When asked if a quota system would work, Foon agreed.

Previously, Ephesus Collins appeared in ZB’s Early Edition to expand on his previous comments.

He said that the promotion of the show was focused on the young brunettes and invited the audience to watch his encounters with the police for his entertainment.

He said his work in the South Auckland community demonstrated the value of working with the police and that the program did not influence that.

“Let’s show the New Zealand we are becoming today.

“If we only post material that follows the Facebook algorithm to reinforce what we already believe, then we will not get a true picture of New Zealand, a diverse New Zealand with a variety of cultures and languages, and now is the time for all of that. representation to be shown on television “.