Statistics reflect resources rather than crime: police

Rural and less populated areas have the highest rates of child and youth offending, while urban areas - and Auckland in particular - have the lowest, latest statistics show.

But police say this reflects more on how offending is recorded and the level of resources rather than any great differences in youth crime across districts.

Figures released last week by the Ministry of Justice showed that offending rates are continuing to trend down for child offenders (10- to 13-year-olds) and youth offenders (14- to 16-year-olds) for 2008, the latest year statistics are available for.

An apprehension is recorded when police deal with an alleged offence.

The report showed great differences in the level of police apprehensions across districts, adjusted for population.

In 2008 the apprehension rate for child offending in Auckland was 97 per 10,000 children, compared to 500 in the Tasman district and 494 in the Southern district. Waitemata and Counties-Manukau had the second and third lowest rates for 2008.

For youth apprehensions, Counties-Manukau was the lowest at 910 per 10,000 youths, followed by Auckland with 1006.

From 1992 to 2008, Auckland showed the biggest decrease in child apprehension rates, falling 61 per cent from a peak in 1997. Youth apprehensions fell sharpest in Counties-Manukau, falling 47 per cent from 1997.

Tasman had over twice as many youth apprehensions in 2008 than Auckland, but the fewest prosecutions in the Youth Court.

The differences across police districts did not necessarily mean that rural areas had more trouble with youths than cities.

Fewer apprehensions could mean that frontline police had to deal with more serious crime and had less time to patrol public areas and convergence points for youths.

Superintendent Bill Harrison, national manager of youth services, said overall it was pleasing to see the number of apprehensions falling.

"The interventions we put in place regarding youth development projects and higher levels of investment into youth aid are starting to bear fruit."

He said an 80 per cent rate of using diversion-type resolutions was a good target. In 2008 the rate in Auckland was 63 per cent, 59 per cent in Waitemata and 70 per cent in Counties-Manukau.

In Tasman it was 90 per cent.

"With Tasman a variety of things come together and there are lots of early intervention opportunities that lead to alternative actions," Superintendent Harrison said.

"There is clearly a growing awareness that intervening and investing in youth at the earliest opportunity will fight crime and raise levels of community safety."


Youth Rates:

* Tasman: 2421 apprehensions (231 prosecutions)

* Southern: 2155 (691)

* Eastern: 1966 (564)

* Auckland: 1006 (374)

* Waitemata: 1370 (555)

* Counties Manukau: 910 (275)