Recorded crime down by 9.4% in Counties Manukau

Recorded crime across the Counties Manukau District is continuing to decline, according to latest crime statistics released today.

Counties Manukau Police District Commander Superintendent John Tims says recorded crime for the 2011/2012 fiscal year is down by 9.4 percent.

"Counties Manukau East Area has seen the biggest drop in recorded crime during this period, down by 18.8 percent. This area covers Otara to Maraetai, Howick and Half Moon Bay

The categories across the District where recorded offences fell the most during the 2011/2012 fiscal year include homicide and related offences (-61.5 percent); public order offences (-25.1 percent); acts intended to cause injury (-15.2 percent); and abduction, harassment and other related offences against a person (-14.6 percent).

Burglaries across the District are up 6 percent on the previous year. Theft and other related offences, not including burglary, make up 30.9 percent of Counties Manukau’s recorded crime.

Superintendent Tims says this year we have focussed on targeting property crime and it remains a key priority for the District. We have especially focused on repeat offenders, locations and victims. Anecdotally, this has resulted in the first two months of this fiscal year seeing a decrease compared to last year” We will to continue to prevent burglaries, and in turn, prevent residents from becoming victims of crime – NB for author; unfortunately we can not publish any figures for this current fiscal year i.e. 20122013 as it is embargoed.

"All Police staff across the Counties Manukau District remain committed to implementing the Prevention First strategy, which puts victims at the heart of policing, preventing crime before it occurs, to ensure all residents can be safe and feel safe. Police understand that by working together with the community and partner’s positive results will form. By sharing information we achieve encouraging outcomes and prevent crime happening."

He says reported crime in the Counties Manukau District has been tracking downwards over the past three years and Police are committed to ensuring this continues.

He went on to explain, “There are a number of valuable crime prevention tools available to the public and police, including the SNAP website, used to record serial numbers and property; Selecta DNA, a forensic property marking tool; and Crimestoppers, an anonymous crime information line.”

At a national level, recorded crime continues to drop with recorded offences dropping by 5.2 percent from the previous year.

A drop of 11.1 percent in total crime for the District per head of population is the lowest recorded for the past 17 years.