Tony Ryall National Police Spokesperson

11 September 2002

Wellington says Auckland crime control 'going well'

Despite violent crime rocketing 12% and less than one in 10 burglaries being solved, the Police have told Parliament that crime control in Auckland is 'going well', says National's Police spokesman, Tony Ryall.

"The Deputy Police Commissioner, Steve Long, appeared before the Law and Order select committee today to answer questions on the Auckland policing crisis. When asked about spiraling crime, Mr Long said he thought things were "going right" and, later, that Auckland is "going well".

"With 70 staff short, experienced staff leaving, fewer burglaries being solved, and more people being assaulted, it is incredible that a Wellington-based Commissioner is so oblivious to the Auckland crisis.

"Auckland police are so understaffed and under-resourced that they are solving less than one in ten burglaries. In fact, the resolution rate has fallen in each of the past two years.

"The Police are planning to spend a million dollars paying for out-of-town cops to transfer temporarily to Auckland. National says these million dollars would be better spent keeping experienced Auckland officers in Auckland.

"Clearly the Police hierarchy has no idea about Auckland's problems. In New York, the leadership would change. It's time we thought about that here," says Mr Ryall.

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