Homicides rife in Auckland

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34133, 21 April 1976, Page 12

Homicides rife in Auckland

(N Z. Press Assn —Copyright.) | AUCKLAND. Twelve persons were killed by violence in Auck- j land between December 29 and April 14. During last year about 201 persons were killed by others! in the whole of New Zealand.; The deaths were fairly evenly i divided between those arising! from fights and those arising! from domestic conflicts. Although no statistics are available to make comparisons. it seems that brawls, assaults. robberies, and rapes, are on the increase in Auckland. , So far there have been numerous fights and assaults in or near hotels, about seven

I reported cases of robbery,) | and five of rape. j The tendency to use) )weapons, first commented on) ; by the then Commissioner of) iPolice (Sir Angus Sharp), in; ) the 1973 police report, seems ; !to be continuing. ) The most “popular” wea-) Ipon—and one that was al-) (most unheard of a few years !ago in this country — is a) ! knife. ) Other weapons reported to) jhave been used this year include beer jugs, bottles i (broken and otherwise),; heavy pieces of timber, a) chain, and a baseball bat. According to a police i officer the most disturbing aspect of the violence is the frequent occasions in which the word, “Polynesian,” crops iup in connection with (offenders or victims.