Minister Encouraged by Positive Crime Statistic Trends

Minister of Police Hon. George Hawkins said Labour/Alliance Government law and order policies have aided Police in cracking down on crime.

The Crime Statistics show an overall reduction in reported crime and also an increase in the number of crimes resolved.

Police have also achieved the best nationwide burglary resolution percentage ever, with 14.3% of all recorded burglaries resolved. This is the best result since such record keeping began in 1988.

Police achieved this result in the seven months since this Labour/Alliance Government came to power.

"I wish to congratulate the work of all Police staff for their efforts in fighting crime," George Hawkins said. "The statistics indicate that the Government's law and order policies are aiding Police to crack down on crime."

The National Crime Statistics for 1July 1999 to 30 June 2000 show:
 40.4% resolution rate for all recorded crime
 2.1% increase in the number of crimes resolved
 6685 fewer recorded burglaries
 8.5% reduction in recorded burglaries
 14.3% burglary resolution rate up from 11.4% for the previous 12 month period.

Total recorded crime dropped 5.1% for the year ending 30 June 2000. This displays a drop of 23,000 offences nationwide. Resolution rates increased by 2.1% to 40.4%.

The Government's anti-burglary policies are also producing results.

"This Government's anti-burglary policies have aided Police to turn around what was a disturbing trend under the previous National led government," George Hawkins said.

Reported burglary offences have reduced by 8.5% down to a national total of 71,842. That means 6685 fewer burglaries were committed for this 12 month period to 30 June 2000, than in 1998/99.

Burglary resolution rates have also improved. A statistical turn-around has been achieved, with a reported nationwide resolution rate of 14.3%.

That compares to just 11.4% for the 1998/1999 June period. The 1 January 1999 to 31 December 1999 National Crime Statistics displayed a burglary resolution rate of 11.1%.

"The statistics show positive changes since this Government came into office," George Hawkins said.

This trend must continue to improve.

"Police have achieved a positive trend, aided by a Government expectation that Police consider burglary as a high priority crime and attend burglary complaints within 24 hours," George Hawkins said.

"On gaining office I, as Minister of Police, informed Police that high priority ought to be applied to crack down on burglary crime.

"Regular weekly meetings were set and continue to ensure the Government's expectations are heard. Police now report to me progress performance in cracking down on burglary crime.

"This Government will not tolerate the burglary epidemic that was allowed to run almost unchecked by the previous government.

"My message has been direct: Police are expected to consider burglary as a high priority crime. This is because burglary is the nucleus of the criminal culture.

"The latest National Crime Statistics support my view that if we take the investigation of burglary crimes seriously, then the criminal community is exposed," George Hawkins said.

This year's Budget was designed to aid Police to crack down on all crime, and totalled an extra $80 million compared to the previous financial year.

The Budget resourced Police to target criminal activity, via both reactive and proactive programmes.

Extra resources have been provided to expand the number of Law Enforcement Teams, Intelligence capabilities, and computer assisted crime fighting tools. Youth At Risk and other crime reduction programmes have been resourced to curb the incidence of recorded crime.

George Hawkins met with Waikato District Police in Hamilton today to personally offer his congratulations for it achieving a 12.1% decrease in recorded crime. This is the most positive decrease nationwide. Waikato also resolved 21.8% of all recorded burglary crimes.

"I am encouraged by the latest National Crime Statistics that a positive trend has been set," George Hawkins said. "We must ensure this trend continues."

Ends

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