Chch property crime rate up

Press, 17 March 1982, Page 3

Chch property crime rate up

Two in every three offences reported to. the police in Christchurch last year involved crimes against property. Statistics released yesterday revealed that more than 31,000 of the 46,166 offences reported in the Christchurch police district during the year involved property. The crime rate had risen faster in Christchurch than in other main centres. Christchurch’s increase of 6.2 per cent over the previous year was almost double the national average. The total number of of-

fences reported in the district last year was almost double those reported in 1971. High unemployment levels in Christchurch could have contributed to the increase in crime, according to the police’s district commander (Deputy Assistant Commissioner G. E. Twentyman). The biggest increases had been in crimes against property, including fraud, car and cycle conversion, thefts, and burglaries. More than 8000 burglaries were reported last year,

which represented a "quite horrific” average of 23 per day. The figure compared with just over 3000 reported burglaries in 1971. Other statistics showed that last year there were more than 4000 cars and 3000 cycles converted, almost 13,000 reported thefts, 31 rapes, and six murders. Figures on violent offending were “distorted" during the Sprinkbok tour, said Mr Twentyman, although he did not think there had been any significent change in the amount of violence, com-

? pared with the previous year, r During the decade in 1 which reported offences 1 doubled, the population of the Christchurch district, I which includes Rakaia to the , south and Cheviot to the j north, rose 10 per cent, and t police manning levels rose [ about 35 per cent. Apprehension rates had been maintained in spite of ; the increase in offences, and ■ the percentage of prosecuI tion and clearances last year ■ was the same as in 1980. i Mr Twentyman said the figures showed that the

police had become more efficient and that their effectiveness had not dropped. "We just have to work a little harder," he said. Crime prevention tactics were continually being reviewed, but Mr’Twentyman was reluctant to comment on any new strategy to combat the increase in crime against property. "We sometimes change our emphasis on different forms of policing, but to announce it would nullify our effectiveness if criminals got to hear about it."