Media Release

For Immediate Release
2 April 2013

Crime drop reflects excellent police work

Big drops in recorded crime reflect the hard work and dedication of police officers and non-constabulary support staff, even at a time when they are under pressure from restructuring, Police Association President Greg O’Connor said today.

“This year’s 7.4% drop in crime comes on top of similar great results over the past few years. The result is a huge credit to all police officers and staff,” Mr O’Connor said.

“The clear downward trend began with the investment in police staff and resources we saw through the mid to late 2000s. Police have been able to innovate and proactively target crime across the board – from burglary and car crime to drug dealing.”

Mr O’Connor said police officers and support staff deserved particular praise for their focus on driving crime down even at a time when they were suffering the stress of shrinking budgets and restructuring of support staff.

“Non-constabulary support has meant frontline officers can be on the street, targeting crime and criminals, confident in the knowledge they have support staff behind them. Restructuring and, in some cases, reduction of that support puts pressure on.

“These falls are testament to the dedication of police staff to deliver to the public of New Zealand, despite the pressures they face. We can only hope that sustainability of these fantastic crime trends is not put at risk as that pressure continues to build,” Mr O’Connor said.

ENDS

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