Murder Rate Lowest since 1978 - Rethinking Crime and Punishment

The new murder rate of 0.77 per 100,000 is lower than it has been since 1978 when it began to rise sharply to the peak levels in the later 1980s and early 1990s, says Dr Gabrielle Maxwell, consultant to the Rethinking Crime and Punishment project.

“It has been falling (on the whole although not year by year) since 1994. It would be great to think this was the beginning of a new decline. A marked change in violent crime would seem unlikely while alcohol is so readily available and so much part of the culture - and while there continues to be extreme inequality in income. These two factors will continue to contribute to increased violence in our community. Nonetheless, effective policing initiatives in the area of family violence, and preparedness to refer at risk whanau and families to social agencies for support has made a significant difference.

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