The North Shore/Waitakere/Rodney Police District has recorded a 7.4% decrease in recorded crime for the calendar year ending December 2004.
District Commander, Superintendent Roger Carson says, "This is a very pleasing result which has come from a determination to reduce the number of burglaries as well as thefts from, and of cars. This has been achieved by allocating resources to areas identified as being at risk and taking a 'whole of policing approach'. This has involved criminal investigators joining road policing colleagues on checkpoints in an effort to prevent crime and crashes," says Superintendent Carson.
For the 2004 calendar year, 5514 burglaries were recorded in the District, compared with 6243 for the previous year, a reduction of 12%. Recorded burglary is down right across the District in North Shore, Waitakere and Rodney and the number of burglaries resolved has also increased. For the 2004 calendar year, the District resolved 17.2% of all burglaries, an increase on last the last in 2003 of 15.8%
Overall there has been an increase in the ability of staff in the District to solve crime. For the 2004 calendar year, 50.5% of all recorded crime was solved which is a slight increase on last year and above the national average resolution rate of 44.6%. The District has the highest resolution rate for any large metropolitan area. All four homicides in the District were resolved and there were also increases in the solving of crime such as fraud, kidnapping.
Superintendent Carson says, "A high resolution rate shows that the staff of this District can meet the expectations of the community to apprehend and stop those responsible for crime to create a safer community. Living in a community that feels and is safe is a top priority for police," says Superintendent Carson.
The North Shore/Waitakere/Rodney Police District has the lowest rate of recorded offending for any Police District, with 782 offences per ten thousand of the population.
Car theft is also reduced with 214 fewer cars recorded stolen in 2004 with 2671 compared to 2885 in 2003.
One initiative undertaken in 2004 was dubbed Operation Manhattan. This was a Policing Metropolitan Auckland Board of Management (B.O.M.) initiated operation with the combining of Police resources across Auckland to target alcohol related offending, with the aim a reduction of crime and crash incidents.
One component concentrated on high visibility checkpoints targeting drink drivers, combined with high profile liquor licensing checks, so working with licensed premises to help with host responsibility.
Operation Wake Up was also very visible on the City's motorways. The District's operational responsibility includes Auckland Metro Road Policing that covers the motorways network and Traffic Alcohol Group (TAG). Operation Wake Up was a response to the high number of serious injury and fatal crashes involving alcohol in the early hours of the morning as people left central Auckland. Checkpoints were used between 2am and 6am and stopped fifty thousand vehicles with 413 people testing positive for drunk driving. This initiative was also aimed at driving down the increased trend of multiple fatalities at crashes that was highlighted when eight people died in three crashes in 2004. The District recorded 31 Fatalities as opposed to 24 in 2003.
"This was another example of the effective use of Police resources across Auckland to address the issue. Operation Wake Up was a collaborative operation involving staff from all Auckland Police Districts," says Superintendent Carson.
The Traffic Alcohol Group has actively been involved with the District’s Youth Education Staff at local High Schools in educating students about the risk and consequences of drink driving.
The District has made real progress in stopping the spreading of crime related to methamphetamine. Since 2000, the number of clan labs being shut down by Police has increased. In the past year 49 were found compared to 36 for the previous year. The increase in prosecutions is more a result of the use of a designated resource across Auckland to address methamphetamine.
Superintendent Carson says, "Policing in the North Shore/Waitakere/Rodney District is all about creating a safer community and I want to thank my staff for the achievements they have made in the past year in reducing crime and crashes. I also wish to acknowledge the work of partners in the community such as local government and community boards in helping achieve our objectives.