Simon Power National Party Law & Order Spokesman

3 April 2006

Labour fails again on crime promise

The Labour Government is failing to live up to its promises to lower crime, says National's Law & Order spokesman, Simon Power.

He is commenting on the 2005 crime statistics released today. They show:

· Violent crime up 6.9%, with grievous assaults up 13%, homicides up 27%, intimidation and threats up 11%, robberies up 12% and serious assaults up 7%. The resolution rate is down.
· Sex crimes up 6.4% and the resolution rate down to 54%.
· Burglaries up and the resolution rate down to a dismal 16%.
· Busts for new drugs, like 'P', up 29% last year and 179% since 2003.

Mr Power says that since 2000, violent crimes have increased by 16%, from 41,573 to 48,337 offences, and the increase last year is the biggest rise in any single year since 2000.

"Grievous assaults are up 41.34% since 2000, with last year's increase of 13% the biggest single jump since 2000, and serious assaults are up 17.42% since 2000, with last year's increase the biggest in any year since 2000.

"These figures make a joke of Labour's promises to reduce crime and its claims that it is on top of the problem.

"And burglaries are up in the past year and the resolution rate is down almost to where it was in 2000, despite Labour's 1999 election pledge that they would reduce them.

"This doesn't take into account the victims who are told by police to not bother reporting burglaries unless they need to do so for insurance purposes.

"This is all about crimes against people, and it is clear from these figures that this Government is failing to deliver safer communities."
Mr Power says the Government should also be very concerned at crime rates in places like Counties-Manukau and Waikato, where total crime rose 11.8% and 8.1% respectively, and where resolution rates dropped.

ENDS

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