Editorial: Tackling crime's a job for all

Twice a year crime figures are released and each time a different reason is given by police chiefs and politicians for the results.

When reported crime is up, it's often touted as good news - it means more people are feeling confident to report crime to police.

When reported crime is down, it is celebrated because it is deemed there are fewer criminals.

This week the country's police figures were released showing reported crime ups and downs for 2011.

The Bay of Plenty's overall reported crime rate has dropped - thanks to reductions in the Rotorua and Western Bay policing areas (there was a slight increase in Taupo and an increase in Eastern Bay).

In Rotorua, reported crime is down by 5 per cent. That's a great result for our hard-working local police.

The decreases have been in most areas, including reported robbery, illicit drug offences and public order offences.

But the bad news is that burglaries have increased. There's no good way of reading that news.

According to the figures, there were 2044 burglaries and unlawful entries in Rotorua in 2011, that's up from 1741 in 2010. That means there are nearly 40 burglaries in Rotorua a week or nearly six a day. It's enough to make you want to get a security alarm.

Our police work hard each day trying to catch these offenders but it is no doubt frustrating for them when they find a majority of the burglaries could have been prevented.

Unlocked doors, open windows and properties that practically have signs on them saying "burgle me" don't help.

We all have a responsibility to improve our crime rates, not just the police.