Property crime rate ‘dismal’

Press, 14 September 1988, Page 2

Property crime rate ‘dismal’

PA Wellington New Zealand’s property crime statistics are worse than for some big European and American cities, Detective Superintendent Colin Wilson says. Mr Wilson is head of C. 1.8. support services and intelligence at Police National Headquarters. In the August edition of the insurance industry’s “Insurance Bulletin,” Mr Wilson said New Zealanders had accepted a high rate of crime. “Indeed in terms of crimes against property, our dismal statistics are similar to those, or worse, than those in the major cities of Europe and North America.” New Zealand still had lower levels of armed robbery and drug addiction. “However, our endeavours to achieve international parity in these categories are well in hand, trends in homicide, serious violence and sexual violation having leapt to new heights in the last year,” he said.

Crime growth had outstripped population growth since 1978 20:1 and the growth in police resources 5:1, Mr Wilson said. “In spite of those odds, the police solved 44 per cent of all criminal offences committed last year.” Juvenile offending was a problem. In 1985, 57 per cent of all offenders identified were under 21. This compared with 55 per cent in 1986 and 53 per cent in 1987. Most frequently they were intoxicated, committing violent crimes. Rivalry between drug dealers was also a cause of violence. There had been a dramatic escalation in the seizings of cocaine arriving in New Zealand bound for Australia and in LSD from Britain and the United States. Police had concentrated at home in combating “homebake” laboratories. Their product was much purer than imported drugs, creating overdosing problems.