More people convicted of more crimes

More people are being successfully convicted of more crimes, according to latest figures from the Ministry of Justice.

Annual figures released today show that the number of prosecutions in 2009 was 9 per cent higher than the previous year, and 41 per cent higher than in 2000.

Almost 370,000 criminal charges were prosecuted last year, with the number of prosecutions per 10,000 residents increasing 26 per cent over the decade.

Public order, abduction, and harassment offences increased in the 10 years to 2009, as did convictions for injury-causing offences, while convictions for fraud and deception offences were down.

Homicide convictions stood at 114 in 2009, the second highest number in the decade.

The number of charges resulting in a conviction rose by 47 per cent over the decade, with the highest number of convictions for traffic offences and offences against justice.

The areas with the highest rate of prosecution were Rotorua, Gisborne, Taupo, Opotiki and Wairoa.

Forty-two per cent of criminals were fined, 27 per cent were given community service, and nine per cent were sent to prison.

- NZPA