Editorial: Crime down, so let's rejoice

It's a beautiful Sunday afternoon.

The sun is shining, it's the first day of daylight saving, the All Blacks have won - everyone should be in a good mood, right?

But what on earth has gone wrong in Koutu?

Emergency services were called to the scene of mayhem on Sunday as gangs of men armed with baseball bats, fence palings and shovels began to attack each other.

It started at a dairy on Koutu Rd and ended at a residential house on the same street, where a 34-year-old was run over in a driveway.

He is seriously injured and is in hospital.

Police are still piecing together what happened and are yet to make any arrests.

What a shame such a violent attack has happened - especially now.

Rotorua should be rejoicing in wonderful news that our reported crime rate has dropped 3 per cent during the past year.

There were 10,405 reported offences in the year ending June 30, 2012, that's 321 fewer than there were the year before.

The biggest reason to celebrate is the drop in residential burglaries - a massive 10 per cent drop compared with the previous year.

That's about 200 fewer burglaries during the past year.

Surveys have shown the single biggest crime people care about the most is burglaries.

Having an unwanted person snooping through your home has to be the worst feeling.

Thankfully I haven't experienced it (touch wood) but a neighbour of ours has recently been burgled twice in one night.

The first time we came home and spotted the burglars from our driveway, disturbing them in the act. Unfortunately the burglars ran away and police weren't able to catch them.

Overnight, the brazen thieves returned - taking everything from televisions to food in the pantry.

The feeling in our neighbourhood hasn't been the same since.

Therefore, it's great to hear there are fewer reports of burglaries.

So let's celebrate this win for Rotorua police and hope the burglary rates continue to fall.