Crime Report Initiative To Increase Police Response Capability

May 2006

Police will appoint additional staff to visit crime scenes in the Auckland region increasing their capability to respond to urgent calls.

Commissioner Howard Broad says the 32 non sworn crime scene attenders will be employed by June 30 next year.

He announced the initiative at a press conference with Minister of Police, Hon Annette King at Wiri Police Station this afternoon.

The new crime scene attenders are part of the first year's allocation of the extra 1250 new staff promised by Government over the next three years.

Mr Broad says the crime scene attenders will be employed in three Auckland police districts, Counties Manukau, Auckland City and North Shore Waitakere, and will help free up sworn staff for response to urgent jobs.

"This initiative will complement other developments such as the non- emergency number project, in helping improve our response capability in the Auckland Region," he says.

Mr Broad says details of crime report attenders' duties are still being developed. However they will include attendance at historic burglary scenes and other non urgent calls for service and conducting low level forensic scene examination.

"This will mean increased collection of forensic information from crime scenes and improves opportunities to apprehend offenders and stop them offending.

"A consequence of this is there is likely to be an increase in some reported crime categories in the short term," Mr Broad says.

The crime scene attenders initiative will assist police provide a more certain customer service to non-urgent calls for service, he says.

Crime scene attenders will be based at major police stations throughout the three Auckland districts.

"They will provide an initial police response, and assess the need for attendance by other specialist police staff, such as scene of crime officers," says Mr Broad.

"Crime scene attenders will also be available to provide crime prevention advice and organise follow up contact with support services such as Victim Support.

"The new staff will be provided with an intensive training programme and will receive follow up on the job training."

Mr Broad says the crime scene attenders will wear a standard uniform which clearly identifies them as police employees but still enables them to be clearly differentiated from sworn response staff.

ENDS

© Scoop Media