MEDIA RELEASE 26 August 2003
Public Affairs
Victoria Continuing Education Te Whare Pûkenga
Counting Crime in New Zealand – Public Lecture
Many people assume crime can be counted in much the same way as inches of rainfall or annual births and deaths.
On 3 September, Trevor Bradley - a Lecturer in Criminology at Victoria University - will give a public lecture
addressing the very real limitations of our current systems of measuring and counting crime.
“Police statistics are presented and accepted as a reliable and accurate, if somewhat disturbing revelation of the
nature and extent of crime committed in New Zealand each year,” he says.
“These statistics are also presented and accepted as a reliable guide to changes in ‘crime rates’ and ‘crime trends’
over time.”
The lecture is aimed at the ‘lay’ public and will provide a much clearer understanding of the processes by which
official counts of crime are constructed and provide the tools to read and interpret what the official statistics on
crime actually reveal.
Wednesday 3 September, 7pm-9pm
Lecture Theatre 1, Government Buildings, Lambton Quay, VUW – City
Fee: $25 ($22)
ENDS
For further information or to enrol, contact Continuing Education 04 463 6556, conted@vuw.ac.nz or visit our website
www.vuw.ac.nz/conted.