More police at weekends 'making dent' in murder rate

Police Minister Judith Collins said police policies and an increase in police numbers are partly responsible for the drop in crime. Photo / Richard Robinson

An increase in police staff and policies that have seen more police on the streets during weekends are being credited with significantly reducing crime - including murder - in Counties-Manukau.

Figures released to the Herald show that between July 2008 and June 2010, there were 23 murders in Counties-Manukau.

So far this calendar year, there have been only three murders.

This is at a time when the number of murders has been on the rise; in 2008 there were 65 murders nationwide, a 25 per cent increase on the previous year and the most in any year over the last decade.

Police Minister Judith Collins said while there are many factors that drive crime, police policies and an increase in police numbers are partly responsible for the drop in crime.

"The proactive policing approach, particularly around alcohol, beat work and the visibility of police, and rostering extra police on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, rather than Monday night, which was the norm before - these are making a big dent in crime," Ms Collins told the Herald.

There have been other cuts in crime on the streets of Counties-Manukau, where 255 police officers have been added to the frontline:

* 80 per cent drop in bag snatching.

* 14 per cent drop in home burglaries.

* 18 per cent drop in other burglaries.

* 29 per cent drop in motor vehicle crime.

These are provisional figures from January 1 until last week, and are being compared with the same time period from the previous year.

Ms Collins said she was using calender year figures for this year because the impact of the extra police officers really began to take effect from the start of this year.

"That's the time when the extra staff have been in place. The new staff really started to make an impact this year."

The reduction seems to be reversing a trend in crime statistics for the region - 2009 saw a 6.9 per cent increase in per capita crime compared to the previous year.

Meanwhile, Ms Collins has asked police to collect different crime statistics to show a picture that rewards proactive policing, rather then penalising it.

"The crime statistics as published by the Department of Statistics don't give any indication of what's really going on.

"If someone is arrested for a liquor ban, it may end up as a crime statistic, when really it's a proactive policing statistic. It creates a disincentive for having police out early and stopping things before they happen.

"We need to get a far clearer picture of what is actually happening."

Police would report back with the new statistics shortly, she said.

Crime Cuts

A drop in murders in Counties-Manukau:

* 2008/09 financial year to the end of June: 14 murders.

* 2009/2010 financial year: 9 murders.

* 2010 so far: 3 murders.