A new survey suggests people living in the Bay are significantly less likely to experience crime. Photo / Getty Images
A new survey suggests people living in the Bay are significantly less likely to experience crime. Photo / Getty Images
Locals say police are to be commended for their work, in light of a new survey stating people living in the Bay of Plenty are "significantly less likely" to experience crime.
The Ministry of Justice New Zealand Crime and Victims Survey was released this week, detailing more than 8000 Kiwis'experiences of crime.
Within it, the survey states people from Bay of Plenty and Taranaki were significantly less likely to experience crime across all offences.
Bay of Plenty residents, along with those in Otago, Southland and Tasman, were also significantly less likely to experience household offences.
However, within the same survey, it stated those living within the country's most deprived areas - a category a number of Rotorua and wider Bay of Plenty suburbs fall into - were significantly more likely to experience crime.
Sensible Sentencing Trust Tauranga spokesman Ken Evans said the results were comforting to hear.
"In past times we have featured quite high in crime statistics so the Bay of Plenty police force should be commended for their work.
"Unless you have a personal experience with crime, the general public only hear about what is said in the media. So seeing results such as these, makes me feel more safe."
Evans said the rise in community safety groups was another feature that could contribute to the survey's findings.
"This community is looking out for itself."
According to the survey, Maori were significantly more likely to experience crime, as were people between 20 and 29 years old and 40 and 49 years old.
Those living in sole-parent households were more at risk of being victims of crime, as were those living in government accommodation.
Evans said while elderly living alone in Tauranga had been a target in the past, young people gathering late at night could contribute to their high representation in the survey.
"Too much alcohol during late-night inner-city gatherings will be putting younger people at risk."
Bruce Banks. Photo / File
Neighbourhood Support Papamoa manager Bruce Banks said as far as the Western Bay was concerned, he agreed with the survey findings.
"Papamoa has one of the strongest Neighbourhood Support groups in the country. Our presence in the community is very pronounced and that in itself acts as a fantastic deterrent.
"There are other areas of crime where the Bay may not feature so well but there is very little property crime here."
Banks said there was an active police force in their community and "nothing gets past them".
In response to the Bay of Plenty Times' specific questions about perceptions of safety in the Bay of Plenty, a police spokesperson said: "Police are working through the results of the Crime and Victims Survey and how best to utilise them as part of our evidence-based approach.
"These findings help identify likely victims of crime in New Zealand and those communities who are most at-risk of victimisation.
"We will work with Justice and the wider sector to further interrogate the data, particularly around reasons for not reporting to police and how support can be provided to both victims and offenders.
"Police encourage anyone who has been the victim of a crime to report it. We understand the public need to trust police to come forward and have confidence that their incident will be dealt with, which is why our vision is to have the trust and confidence of all."
