2 March 2005

Police crime statistics show crime coming down – Police commended

"The unprecedented drop in recorded crime, the best since 1970 when we started to collect data on recorded crime, clearly shows the excellent job being done in the community by the Police," the Minister of Police, George Hawkins, said today.

"The Commissioner, and the whole of the police force, have picked up the challenge of our desire for safer communities and, as the latest recorded crime data show, they have made tremendous gains in delivering our goal. They are to be congratulated"

"Total numbers of recorded crime are down 8.2 percent since last year – a drop of 36,000 crimes. That means nearly 700 less crimes are recorded every week, nearly 100 less every day.

"The rate of crime, at 1000 recorded crimes per 10,000 population, is the lowest it has been for 23 years.

"The crime rate peaked in 1996. Now, as a result of highly focused and professional policing, the rate of recorded crime is nearly 22 percent lower than it was at the peak nine years ago.

"It is pleasing to see a slight drop in recorded violent crime. It is particularly gratifying to note that effective police work has resulted in more than 80 percent of violent crimes being resolved."

"The Labour-led government has focused on creating safer communities so that people can live without fear of being a victim of crime.

"Police Commissioner Rob Robinson has been given the resources to do the job. He now has over 1000 more police staff than in 1999, he has 13 new police stations, he gets 850 new vehicles each year and he has special teams to focus on critical areas.

"As the data show the Commissioner has correctly identified the key areas for Police action and as a result they have taken huge strides towards making the public's desire for safer communities a reality.

"Last year there were fewer recorded violent crimes, fewer sexual offences, fewer drug and anti-social behaviour offences fewer burglaries and fewer crimes of dishonesty.

"As Minister, I am gratified that the successful policies of the Labour-led government, the investment in effective policing, and the delivery of quality police work by the Commissioner and the police have resulted in reduced violent crime, burglaries and vehicle crime showing our communities are getting safer," concluded the Minister.

ENDS

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