Justice Minister Simon Power is pledging to focus more on the causes of crime.
Mr Power says the Government's first priority has been the safety of the public so policies have mainly focused on responding to crime.
However, he is calling a meeting in Parliament in April of a wide range of individuals and groups to discuss the factors that drive crime.
Alcohol and the over-representation of Maori in crime statistics are two of the areas he plans to target.
Mr Power says anything that will reduce Maori offending will have a positive impact on overall crime rates.