Crime million-dollar ‘industry’ in Chch
A small group of professional criminals could take| much of the blame for turn-, ing crime in Christchurch | into a muiti-million-dollar “industry,” the acting head of the Christchurch l police district (Detective i Superintendent E. G. Perry) I said yesterday. Property and cash worth more than SI.BM had been stolen in a record number of: 12,201 offences in Christchurch last year. “Il is staggering to realise, that this amount has been • taken m only one district ofj New Zealand,” Mr Perry said.' According to police statis-, tics, theft was the most common offence in Christchurch j during 1976. Almost $500,000 worth ofj property and money wasj stolen in the 3862 reported! thefts.
Burglaries of houses, flats, t ■land businesses, although j •Ifewer in number, accounted! 11 for about $950,000, Many of the 744 persons j : I arrested or apprehended on I burglary charges during thej ■iyear were not first offenders,! 'said Mr Perry. “Some of them are incorrigible,” he said. “They: (have a formidable list of con-1 ivictions at the ages of 18 to I 20." Mr Perry said the police were worried that so much [of the stolen property was (finding a ready market. [ Some of it was being soldi by burglars and thieves to! apparently innocent members! jof the public. The statistics also showed that the police arrested 1553 ipersons last year for antisocial behaviour. 386 for I assault, and 665 for theft.
| There were nine murders in Christchurch: and the police dealt with 35 complaints of rape.
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Press, 12 January 1977, Page 4
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255Crime million-dollar ‘industry’ in Chch Press, 12 January 1977, Page 4
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