Chch second for robberies

Press, 7 November 1978, Page 6

Chch second for robberies

Christchurch had the second highest rate of armed robberies in New Zealand in the last year, according to statistics gathered by a security firm, Armoured Freightways Ltd. Wellington had the highest rate, followed by Christchurch and Auckland. The number of robberies in Christchurch is increasing along with the number of burglaries, which “might be the highest in New Zealand,” according to the acting head of the Christchurch police district (Detective Chief Superintendent E. G. Perry). About $4.5M worth of property — $l2 for every man, woman, and child — was stolen in Christchurch in the first eight months of this year, according to official police statistics, released earlier this month.

Mr Perry said it was not known at that stage how

Christchurch’s crime rate compared with the rest of the nation’s.

The- security firm’s statist-) ics for armed robberies! showed Wellington as! having 31 robberies in the! last year; Christchurch 27;; and Auckland 19. There were four armed robberies in Palmerston North, three in Dunedin, and! two. each in Nelson, Tauranga, Wanganui, Hastings, Timaru, and Hamilton. In all, 104 armed robberies, in which almost $150,000 was stolen, were reported throughout New Zealand in the last year. Only 62 of the "104 robberies have so far been solved by the police, accord- ! ing to the security firm’s! statistics. Retail shops were target l for the highest number of I robberies of premises — 18 ( — followed by private! homes (12) and banks (9).