More Car Conversions

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30998, 2 March 1966, Page 3

More Car Conversions

f.X.Z. Press Association)

WELLINGTON March 1.

New Zealand streets are yielding easy pickings for car converleis. who were more active last year than ever before, according to police statistics released todav.

In spite of national crime prevention publicity, . which has urged greater security measures by car owners, the incidence of car conversions reported increased by more than 20 per cent and interference with cars increased by more than 26 per cent Throughout New Zealand 3456 cars were reported illegally taken and 1231 cases of inter-

ference with cars were reported. The highest increases came in North Island centres, particularly Auckland and Hamilton. In Auckland 28 per cent more cars were reported stolen, w’hile in Hamilton the increase was more than 33 per cent.

In Wellington 556 cars were reported stolen, an increase of 17 per cent over 1964. while 221 cases of interference were reported, an increase of 26 per cent. More Burglaries

There were also substantially more burglaries reported throughout the Dominion last year—l3,s6l, compared with 11,139 the year before.

Dunedin’s burglars were particularly active. There 529 burglaries were reported —an increase of more than 61 per cent over 1964. Auckland headed the list

with 4673 burglaries reported. an increase of 34 per cent. The increase in Wellington was pegged at 8 per cent with 2032 burglaries reported. There were 6.5 per cent more thefts reported nationally. with the total at 30.415. In Auckland there were 8469 cases reported and in Wellington 5386. Wellington’s increase in thefts was highest of the principal cites, at 14 per cent. False Pretences Confidence men found Christchurch a “green pasture” and their attentions raised the number of false pretences and fraud offences reported to 684 last year. This was 281 more than in 1964. Nationally, the increase in fraud offences was 10 per cent. Auckland’s 1113 offences reported was a drop of 52 from the previous year. Wellington’s 686 was an increase of 18 per cent