Counties Manukau Police District's total recorded crime in the 12 months ending 31 December 2008 has remained at a similar level to the previous year.
The crime statistics released today show a less than one percent increase in recorded crime for the year ending 31 December 2008 compared to the previous year. This equates to a 2 percent reduction per head of population, as Counties Manukau's population has risen over the same period.
Counties Manukau Police resolved 41% of recorded offences in the year ended 31 December 2008, down from 42% the previous year.
Within the total volume of recorded crime, some types of offences have increased, whilst others have decreased.
Increases included Violence offences, which rose by 4 percent, and Drug and Anti-social offences, which rose 7 percent. Property Damage and Dishonesty offences both decreased in 2008 (down 8% and 0.3% respectively).
The increase in the total number of recorded Violence offences has been driven entirely by an increase in recorded family violence assaults. Counties Manukau's results are consistent with the national picture, where we have seen significant increases in recorded family violence offences following the national roll-out of training to all front-line staff in family violence investigation and risk assessment.
Also, media campaigns over recent years have encouraged reduced tolerance of family violence. Many people may now be reporting to Police family violence offences which in the past may not have come to Police attention at all.
Dishonesty offences decreased significantly over the last two years. In 2008, there were 562 recorded Dishonesty offences per 10,000 population, compared with 574 the year before and 727 in 1999.
These offences include Burglary, which fell 3% in 2008 and Car Conversion, which fell 6%. Fraud offences increased by 27% in the same period.
Drugs and Antisocial offences increased by 7% in 2008 compared to 2007. The largest increases were in Disorder offences - up by 21% (379 offences), and in New Drugs offences - up 50% (156 offences).
ENDS