Teens cop blame for spiralling crimewave

The effects of the "baby blip" that occurred in the late 1980s and early 1990s is starting to become evident in the country's growing crime statistics.

Although total crime across the country remained relatively unchanged last year there was a significant increase in Counties Manukau and the Waikato which police believe is partly due to the baby blip generation reaching their mid-teens.

Acting Police Commissioner Steve Long said an 11.8 per cent increase in Counties Manukau's crime was partly related to burglary, theft and car theft. Those crimes were due to a range of factors, including a rise in youth offending.

In the Waikato, where total crime increased by 8.1 per cent, teenage offending was partly to blame for a 20 per cent leap in burglaries.

"We're now starting to see the effect of the entry of the baby blip which occurred in the early 90s coming through into the 15-24-year age group," said Mr Long. "Police and other agencies will have to work hard over the next few years to help deter and deal with criminal offending by this generation."

Police statistics released yesterday showed a .3 per cent rise in total crime around the country last year.

Violent crime was up by 6.9 per cent while sexual offences increased by nearly 200.

Grievous assaults, homicides, robberies and intimidation and threats were all up by more than 11 per cent each, while abnormal sex (such as bestiality) and immoral behaviour nearly doubled.

Drugs and antisocial behaviour dropped. Cannabis-related offences also continued to drop while new drugs, such as methamphetamine, rose by nearly 30 per cent.

Dishonesty-related crimes - which accounted for just over half of all crimes committed last year - were relatively unchanged, although there was a 30 per cent reduction in fraud.

Of the 407,496 crimes committed in 2005, 43.3 per cent were solved - slightly down on the 44.6 resolution rate in 2004.

Canterbury recorded the biggest reduction in crime - a 7.5 per cent reduction since 2004, while Counties Manukau had the highest increase.

Counties Manukau District Commander, Superintendent Steve Shortland, attributed his district's rising statistics to an increase in family violence and youth crime.

He said family violence accounted for 42 per cent of the district's emergency response calls - a figure which had doubled in the past five years.

Mr Shortland said police spent an average of an hour at each domestic which impacted on the district's ability to attend other crimes.

"We are working in a number of areas to manage that demand and reduce family violence which will ultimately free up a portion of our priority one response capability."

Mr Shortland said youth offending was another big area that had contributed to the rising crime statistics.

In Counties Manukau the number of arrested teenagers under the age of 17 rose from 428 in 2004 to 612 last year.

Some of those arrests were in connection with high-profile street brawls and serious assaults committed by youth gangs.

Though youth gangs were not a new phenomenon they were attracting more members and that could be seen in the statistics, including the district's 17.3 per cent rise in violent offences. Mr Shortland said the district had several programmes running in order to deal with the youth issue.

Of the 94 youth offenders who attended one Mangere programme, 72 had not reoffended.

National Law and Order spokesman Simon Power said the statistics showed that Labour was failing to live up to its promises to lower crime.

Police Minister Annette King said many factors, including population increases and a growing methamphetamine market, made an overall rise in crime likely last year.

The Government's commitment to recruit 1000 more frontline staff and 250 non-sworn staff over the next three years would help police target burglary, car offences and organised crime, she said.

OFFENCE RATES REGION BY REGION

Northland: Crime was up 2.4 per cent and 7522 of the 15,443 crimes were resolved. Similar rate to 2004.

Counties Manukau: Total crime rose 11.8 per cent, 5066 more crimes than in 2004. Of the 48,000 crimes committed only 16,628 (34.6 per cent) were solved. That resolution was slightly down on 2004. Violent crime rose 17.3 per cent, drugs and antisocial, property damage and property abuse offences all rose more than 16.4 per cent and dishonesty cases rose 10.1 per cent.

Auckland City: Total crime much the same - 53,615 offences last year, just 60 more than in 2004. Thefts from cars were significantly higher, an 18 per cent increase on the previous year. The resolution rate rose slightly from 34.2 per cent in 2004 to 35.6 per cent last year.

North Shore/Waitakere: Crime dropped 0.2 per cent last year to 37,996 offences. However the number of crimes being solved also fell from 50.4 per cent in 2004 to 47 per cent.

Waikato: Crime rose 8.1 per cent last year. Of the 31,435 offences, 13,973 were resolved. The resolution rate fell from 46.5 per cent in 2004 to 44.5 last year. Violent crime was up 10.5 per cent and sexual crime up by 12 per cent.

Central: Crime was up on 2004 by 2.1 per cent - 30,731 crimes in the district last year. The resolution rate fell from 48 per cent in 2004 to 44.1 per cent last year.

Bay of Plenty: Total crime fell 5.1 per cent last year, bringing the total number of offences down to 36,154. However the resolution rate also dropped from 51.2 per cent cent in 2004 to 48.1 last year.

Eastern: Crime was up 2 per cent last year, bringing the number of offences to 22,957. The resolution rate fell from 49.9 per cent in 2004 to 47.2 per cent last year.

Wellington: Total crime dropped 3.9 per cent last year bringing the number of offences down to 41,214. The resolution rate also fell slightly from 47.2 per cent in 2004 to 46.1 per cent last year.

Tasman: Crime was down 5.2 per cent last year with a total of 15,819 offences. The resolution rate increased from 53.6 per cent in 2004 to 56.5 per cent last year - the best figures in the country.

Canterbury: Canterbury saw the biggest fall in recorded crime last year at 7.5 per cent. That was 3649 fewer crimes than in 2004. The resolution rate also rose from 36.8 per cent in 2004 to 38.1 last year.

Southern: Crime rose slightly, by 1.5 per cent, to 29,103 last year. The resolution rate fell from 51.7 per cent in 2004 to 49.4 last year.