Crime in Otago Rural down 14.1%

Crime in Otago Rural (the local authority areas of Queenstown Lakes, Central Otago and Waitaki) continued its downward trend as the Area again recorded further reductions in the total amount of crime reported, with a decrease of 14.1 % in the year to 30 June 2012.

The total number of recorded offences in the year to 30 June 2012 was 4800, which continued the downward trend from 5589 in the year to 30 June 2011 and 6024 in the year to June 2010.

"These figures continue to build on the crime reductions made over the past three years across Otago Rural and reflect the efforts of our staff in conjunction with our communities and partner agencies, who are all working hard to prevent and reduce crime in our communities," said Inspector Mike Cook, Area Commander Otago Rural.

Police in Otago Rural have continued to deploy via local tasking and co-ordination processes to ensure a strong and consistent approach to crime prevention. This focus was a significant contributor to achieving continued crime reductions.

"As we move forward, Otago Rural will continue to set ambitious crime reduction targets to ensure that our communities remain amongst the safest in New Zealand," Inspector Cook said.

Inspector Cook said a number of new initiatives and tools would be coming into the Area over the next nine months all of which are designed to free up frontline staff from bureaucratic processes and re-invest this time into ensuring that Police increase their visibility and accessibility in the community and remain committed to further crime reductions.

The number of offences classed as Acts Intending to Cause Injury continued to decrease, dropping by 13.4% (502 down from 580). Theft and related offences again decreased by a further 5.2% (1342 down from 1416). Offences related to property damage continued their downward trend and were down a further 18.8% (879 down from 1083) in the year to 30 June 2012.

Total crime across Southern District is down 11.2 percent, from 24,933 to 22,133 in the year to 30 June 2012. The percentage of crime solved (known as the resolution rate) has also increased from 54.5% in the year to 30 June 2011 to 56.0% in the year to 30 June 2012.

Superintendent Bob Burns, Southern District Commander, says that the latest further district-wide decrease in crime, the third consecutive decrease, validates the fantastic work Southern staff carry out 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, on behalf of Southern communities.

"The shift from a more traditional model of policing to a stronger proactive and preventative model has had a major and positive impact on preventing and reducing crime, he says.

"Our intelligence-driven preventative policing model gives us better understanding of who our most active criminals are, what locations attract the most calls for police service and which victims are at greatest risk of re-victimisation. We can act with more urgency, make better deployment decisions, and work with key community partners to address identified drivers of crime to ensure we provide the greatest impact on the criminal environment and make real and sustained reductions in reported crime."

Supt. Burns says the key for Southern is 'sustained' reductions.

"I am particularly pleased that another significant decrease has occurred and, more importantly, all of our three policing areas (Southland, Otago Rural and Dunedin) have contributed to this great overall result."

ENDS

© Scoop Media

"Unlawful, Unjustified And Unreasonable": Report Into Urewera Raids Finds Police Acted Unlawfully

Independent Police Conduct Authority Chair Judge Sir David Carruthers said today that the decision by the then Commissioner of Police to undertake the operation in Ruatoki Valley and elsewhere on 15 October 2007 was reasonable and justified.

“However, the road blocks established by Police at Ruatoki and Taneatua were unlawful, unjustified and unreasonable... Police had no legal basis for stopping and searching vehicles or photographing drivers or passengers,” he said...

The report also showed that the detention of the occupants at five properties examined by the Authority was unlawful and unreasonable. More>>