Crime figures incorrect

Press, 9 April 1981, Page 25

Crime figures incorrect

PA Auckland Crime figures released by the Auckland police a fortnight ago showing a 300 per cent increase in violent juvenile offending were grossly incorrect. The figures, which sparked criticism and concern from police officials and members of Parliament, should have shown on over-all increase of 25 per cent and 7.6 per cent for serious offences. Auckland’s police chief, Assistant Commissioner E. J. Trappitt, said the errors were discovered during a detailed study by the police of Auckland crime. Figures released by the police earlier m March showed that common assaults increased from 178 in 1979 to 567 last year. However, last year’s figure should have been 223, a rise of just over 25 per cent. The figure also recorded

that serious assaults by juveniles increased from 65 in 1979 to 230 last year. Last year’s figure should have been 70, a rise of 7.69 per cent. Mr Trappitt said that although the corrected statistics were still cause for concern, they were “appreciably better” than those in the original report. He said care was taken to produce accurate and responsible information for the public, but the errors had occurred when interpreting data involving “many thousands of offences in various age categories.” “I hope the revised figures will to some degree reassure those who read the initial report that youthful violent offending remains proportionate to the district’s overall crime figures and is not out of hand," he said.