Crime climbing but police fight back

Press, 28 March 1979, Page 6

Crime climbing but police fight back

Two glimmers of hope shone for the Christchurch police last year as the city’s crime rate continued to rise steadily. One was that the crime clearance rate in Christchurch was good compared with other centres, and the other was that the number, of burglaries fell for the first time in many years. But in spite of all-out police ■ efforts to control burglaries,, property worth more than S6.BM was stolen in Christchurch last year, according to statistics released yesterday by the commander of: the Christchurch police dis-' trict (Deputy Assistant Commissioner G. E. Twentyman). “As we increase the pressure. criminals always adapt! to our methods.” he said. ‘Tn I this case we seem to have squeezed a number of them from burglaries into car con-; version and other offences.” The burglary rate fell from! 5819 in 1977 to 5598 last! year, but the number of car conversions rose from 17821 to 2483. and the total num-

ber of thefts increased from 10.788 to 11,137. A total of 35.482 offences) was reported to the Christ-i church police last year.

Of these, 14,828, or 41.7 per cent, were cleared. This clearance rate compared favourably with that of the police in other main New Zealand centres, said Mr Twentyman. Christchurch police were particularly effective in dealing with violent and sexual crimes. Of the 347 sexual offences reported last year, 219 were solved; and the police cleared 1122, or 80 per cent, of the 1396 violent offences that were reported. Over-ail, however, the total : number of reported crimes 'has increased steadilv from '31,263 in 1976. to 33,180 in 1977. and 35.482 in 1978. Mr Twentyman said the I police were most concerned about the number of young persons involved in burglary, car conversion, and theft — crimes which accounted for about one-third of the offences reported last year. About 46 per cent of the persons apprehended for these offences were under the age of 17. “There is not enough checking of children’s whereabouts, where they are getting their money, and so on. Too many parents just do

not want to know,” Mr Twentyman said. The police are also worried by the steady increase in offences involving “hard” drugs. Ninety-four persons were apprehended for such offences last .year, compared with 64 in 1977. Over all. the number of persons apprehended for all drug offences increased from 436 in 1977 to 528 last year. “One of the worst aspects of the drug problem is that younger and younger peoole are becoming hooked. The numbers must increase as young addicts grow into old addicts,” said Mr Twentyman. All policemen, not only’ the drug squad, were now being trained to deal w’ith drugs and drug offenders. The statistics showed that in spite of relaxed laws, the police were still keeping an eye out for minors drinking in Christchurch ' hotels. A total of 1184 minors were prosecuted for liquor offences, and 84 hotel and tavern licensees were reported for offences ranging from supplying liquor to minors to trading after hours.