House burglaries and thefts from cars have contributed to the 1.4 percent increase in total recorded crime for the Wellington Police District in the 12 months ending June 2004.
Superintendent Rob Pope, Wellington District Commander, says the increase is disappointing because the police resolution rate is the best in over a decade.
Statistics released today show that the Wellington District, which encompasses Wellington City, Kapiti Mana, Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt and the Wairarapa, recorded 46,194 offences in the 12 months 1 July 2003 to 30 June 2004. This was 653 offences or 1.4 percent up on the previous fiscal year. Despite the increase, police continued to solve more crime, resolving 21,934 offences – up 907 offences on the corresponding period last year.
A total of 47.5 percent of recorded crime was resolved this year – a 1.3 percent increase on the 2002/03 resolution rate.
"This shows that officers are working harder than ever at catching offenders but we need to sharpen our focus even further if we are to achieve sustainable crime and crash reduction.
"The small crime increase in total recorded crime is largely due to a spike in house burglaries and thefts from cars, particularly between July and December last year," Superintendent Pope says.
House burglaries rose 13.2 percent during the full fiscal year (up 484 offences from 3660 to 4144) and thefts from cars rose seven percent (up 442 offences from 5962 to 6404 offences). Police solved 36 percent more house burglaries and 62 percent more thefts from cars compared with last year. This is the best continuing trend in resolution rates for ten years.
"These crimes were becoming a real problem for us with house burglaries between July and December blowing out by 26 percent over the same period in the previous year. I’m pleased to say however that the picture has dramatically improved in the last six months of the reporting period with a one percent increase on the equivalent January to June 2003 period.
"We have clawed back this ground, making significant gains in crime reduction, by adopting a more consistent District wide approach to offending through improving our crime intelligence, analysis and information flow, more flexibility in staff deployment and targeting offenders who commit most of the crime," he says. "This greater urgency and focus with all operational and investigative policing arms working together, public willingness to report offending as it happens and initiatives with our partners will make a positive difference to crime and crash reductions in the District.
"Police have an obligation and duty to minimise crime opportunities and we’re not shirking from that responsibility. We’re focused on stopping offenders quickly and before they can embark on a campaign of crime.
A total recorded crime (all categories – violence, sexual, drugs and anti social, dishonesty, property damage, property abuse and administrative) snapshot of the five Areas within the Wellington District shows:
• Wairarapa recorded a 9.8 percent drop in recorded crime and a 3.6 percent drop in resolution rates.
• Wellington Area (Churton Park south through the city) recorded a 1.7 percent drop in recorded crime and a 1.2 percent rise in resolution rates.
• Upper Hutt recorded a 3.7 percent rise in recorded crime and a 2.6 percent drop in resolution rates.
• Lower Hutt recorded a 4 percent rise in recorded crime and a 3.6 percent rise in resolution rates.
• Kapiti Mana recorded a 10 percent rise in recorded crime and a 3.4 percent rise in resolution rates.
Violent crime, property abuse and administrative offending went down across the District, with violent crime dropping by 180 offences to 5222 offences – a 3.3 percent decrease. Police resolution rate for violence increased 1.4 percent.
Five murders were reported with a 100 percent resolution rate. Grievous and minor assaults, intimidation and threatening behaviour (all in the violence category) were down, and disorder (in the drugs and anti social category) remained stable.
Improved systems and strategies with community and government agencies are helping in the family violence area, with particular emphasis on identifying repeat offenders and victims and providing appropriate interventions.
"It is also evident that strict police enforcement of liquor bans in Wellington City, Lower Hutt and Porirua has contributed to a drop in minor street assaults where alcohol is often a factor," Superintendent Pope says. "Police will continue to focus on alcohol related crime by enforcing liquor bans, maintaining high presence foot patrols and prosecuting liquor establishments for sale of liquor breaches."
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Media contact for Supterintendent Pope, Wellington District Commander, is Kaye Calder, District Communications Manager, tel 04 496 3464 or 0274 373 020
AREA commentary follows….
Wellington City Area resolves more crime
Wellington City Police achieved a 1.7 percent drop in crime (down 315 offences to 17,922 offences). The number of crimes resolved was the highest in the past four years.
Inspector Gary Knowles, acting Area Commander, says city police will continue to focus all resources to the key priority areas of violence, sexual, burglary and car crime offending.
"Everyone is focussed on the key crimes. Investigative, forensic, general duties, traffic and community staff are all being tasked to where they are needed most at the time crime is occurring," Inspector Knowles says.
Violent crime, drugs and anti social behaviours, dishonesty, property and administrative offences all dropped or recorded a stable picture.
"We’re really pleased that burglary dropped 12.1 percent or 331 offences. The resolution rate increased 1.1 percent," Inspector Knowles says. "This reflects the focus we’ve put into burglaries by tactically deploying resources to where they are needed.
"We’ve targeted active burglars and run some very successful operations to achieve this reduction. We’ll continue to refine our approach and want to achieve even better results."
He encourages people to stay vigilant about basic security measures. "Ensure windows are locked and your houses secure, even if leaving for just a short time. Remember to secure outbuildings, garages and roadside vehicles, and keep them locked.
"Offenders tell us insecure premises are one of the top reasons for breaking into properties. Ring us the moment you see suspicious activity, with your help we can keep reducing crime."
He says robust enforcement of the Wellington City Central liquor ban has helped improved community safety with less sexual attacks and a drop in minor assaults and disorder in the inner city.
"The combination of the liquor ban and prosecuting Sale of Liquor Act offences is an excellent example of effective police and community partnerships."
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Media contact: Inspector Gary Knowles, telephone 04 802 3738
Wairarapa reports 9.8 percent drop in crime
Targeting "hot" offenders, enforcing curfew conditions and increased reporting of known criminals activities are some of the reasons for Wairarapa’s 9.8 percent drop in total crime.
A total of 4098 offences were recorded – 444 offences fewer than the same time last year, and the lowest in four years.
Inspector John Johnston, Wairarapa Area Commander is very pleased with the result. "Officers have continued to react quickly to reports of burglary and overnight crime. By fully interviewing offenders before they are released, we have been able to better identify crime trends as they are developing and take an appropriate response."
Wairarapa Police resolved 51.4percent (2106 offences) of recorded crime.
A rigorous approach to liquor licensing meant a drop in property damage crime of 14.9 percent (86 offences). Drugs and anti-social behaviour went down 17.5 percent (125 offences) and violence, which includes minor assaults, went down 12.9 percent (90 offences).
"Property damage, disorder and violence is very often alcohol-related. We are actively working with local authorities to ensure consistency in liquor enforcement."
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Media Contact: Inspector John Johnston, telephone 06 370 0301
Kapiti Mana crime rises
Burglary, disorder, theft and wilful damage contributed to a 10.1 percent rise in crime for Kapiti Mana Area.
Total crime went up 852 offences to 9275 and 685 more offences were resolved when compared with last year.
Reported violent offending in Kapiti Mana dropped by 6.4 percent or 67 offences to 979 – a four-year low. More violent crime was also solved. The resolution rate increased by 4 percent to 88.6 percent.
Inspector John Spence, Kapiti Mana Area Commander, welcomes the drop in violence. He is however very disappointed by the 23.8 percent rise in recorded burglaries – up 262 offences to 1361.
"The number of burglaries is clearly unacceptable," he says. "We’ve sharpened our focus and are already seeing some gains."
He says the public also has a role to play in crime prevention and urges people to ring police as soon as they see or encounter suspicious activity. "With community help, we can reduce crime and make it harder for burglars, thieves, vandals and taggers."
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Media contact: Inspector John Spence, telephone 04 238 1432
Burglaries, property damage contribute to Upper Hutt crime increase
Burglaries, theft and property damage contributed to the 3.7 percent rise in crime in the Upper Hutt Area.
Inspector Brett Kane, Upper Hutt Area Commander, says 4089 total crime offences were recorded – 145 more than during the same period last year. Upper Hutt Police resolved a total 50.9 percent or 2082 offences, over half of all recorded crime.
Inspector Kane says the increase is disappointing, with a significant spike in burglaries during the first half of the fiscal year influencing the results.
"We’ve put a lot of effort into burglary reduction measures in the last few months and this is improving the crime picture in our community.
"Staff are more effectively targeting known and active offenders. We are providing a high visibility policing approach but the 20.3 percent rise in burglaries is a concern."
Robust enforcement of alcohol issues has helped reduce minor assaults by 18.2 percent. High police visibility in target areas has also resulted in a significant 22.8 percent drop in car conversion - 71 fewer offences than in the last fiscal year. Twenty nine percent of recorded car conversions were resolved, an increase on the 17.4 percent over last year.
"We’ll continue to focus on car crime, thefts from vehicles and burglaries in the coming year," Inspector Kane says.
Reported sexual offending dropped in Upper Hutt by 27.3 percent (nine offences) to 24 offences – the lowest in four years.
"We all have a part to play in crime reduction," Inspector Kane says. "It’s important that people tell us about suspicious activity when they see it. Don’t hesitate to call police. By taking action you may prevent a neighbour from becoming a crime victim."
Ends: Media Contact: Inspector Brett Kane, telephone 04 527 2333
More crime solved in Lower Hutt
Crime in Lower Hutt went up four percent but was matched by a similar increase in the resolution rate.
A total of 10,810 offences were recorded – 415 more than last year’s figures. Lower Hutt Police resolved 48.9 percent or 5285 offences of total reported crime.
"This is the highest level achieved since 2000 and reflects the effort officers are making," says Inspector Peter Cowan, acting Area Commander.
Inspector Pete Cowan, acting Lower Hutt Area Commander, says that the tide has turned in the last six months with successful operations targeting burglars and car thieves.
"We have really upped the anti. More effective use of crime intelligence to deploy staff, and the heavy focus on key local and transient offenders is changing the picture.
"We need to keep this pressure up to achieve real crime reductions.
"We’ve noted that 18 percent of our residential burglaries in Lower Hutt were to garages, while another 17 percent were attempted burglaries where the offender did not gain entry to the address."
Successes include a 9.1 percent decrease in the unlawful taking of vehicles. This was due to police identifying and targeting a professional car ringing gang operating within the greater Wellington Police District. As a result several key offenders were arrested and imprisoned for these offences.
Violent crime dropped by nearly one percent and the resolution rate climbed to 87.8 percent, the highest in four years. This has been influenced by a greater focus on alcohol abuse within the Lower Hutt CBD, stronger enforcement of the Lower Hutt City liquor ban and the increased monitoring of inner city CCTV cameras.
Thefts from cars continues to be a problem in the city with a disappointing 15.2 percent increase. "This is very much an opportunist crime. People can help police by not leaving valuable articles in their cars within full view of any one passing by," says Inspector Cowan.
He says Lower Hutt Police have modified their operational structure to give more urgency and accountability towards criminal offending. Daily taskings are issued to officers each shift to specifically address crime problems.
"Crime is intolerable. If you see it happening or have information about offenders, then tell us about it."
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Media contact: Inspector Peter Cowan, phone 04 560 2658
Media note: A breakdown of District statistics is attached. These and Area statistics are available on the Wellington Police District website: www.police.govt.nz
or by contacting Kaye Calder, Wellington District communications manager, tel 496 3464 or email: kaye.calder@police.govt.nz