Simon Power MP
National Party Justice & Corrections Spokesman

3 April 2008

Poll shows up NZers’ concerns over crime

A poll in which the public say they are more concerned about crime and violence than anything else shows up the folly of replacing the Serious Fraud Office with an agency with fewer powers, says National’s Justice & Corrections spokesman, Simon Power.

He is commenting on a UMR poll, which is reported in Police News as showing that concern over ‘crime/violence’ is at a high of 21.4%, and is the issue most people are concerned about.

“This poll backs up what National has been saying for ages – that violent crime is on the rise and people are very concerned about it.

“And they have reason to be – just look at the 2007 crime statistics released this week:

- Violent crime increased by 12.3% last year. Grievous assaults were up 17.4%, serious assaults 16.3%, minor assaults 10.4%, intimidation and threats 11.2%, and group assemblies 26%.

- Compared with 1999, violent crime is up 43.6%, from 39,688 offences to 56,983. Grievous assaults were up 93%, from 2,495 offences to 4,831, robberies 65% to 2,610, and serious assaults 53% to 20,623. Sex crimes were up 18% to 3,585 offences.

- Violence by youths aged 10-13 was up 30% last year, from 926 offences to 1,201, and violence by youths aged 14-16 was up 47% since 1999, from 3233 offences to 4,766.

“This is hardly the time for the Government to be establishing a new agency with fewer powers than its predecessor.

“This poll shows very clearly that the public doesn’t want to be hearing about ‘specialist task forces’ developing ‘a whole-of-government approach’ followed by ‘a cycle of ongoing three-year strategies’.

“The public wants to see action and they want to see arrests. They want to see the gangs closed down and organised crime squashed.

“National will do that.”

ENDS

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