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There were 444 fewer victims of recorded crime in the Wairarapa Police Area last year, official New Zealand Crime Statistics show.
"Total recorded crime for the year to June 2003/04 in Wairarapa numbered 4098 offences, compared with 4542 for the previous year," Wairarapa MP Georgina Beyer said.
"That translates to 444 fewer recorded offences, or 8.5 fewer victims of recorded crime a week, a 9.8 percent drop over the previous 12 months, " Ms Beyer said.
"At the same time recorded violent offending was down 12.9 percent, with 85.3 percent of violent crimes resolved in the Area resolved," she said.
Recorded drugs and anti social offences were also on the decline, down 17.5 percent, with 92.4 percent of these offences resolved, compared with the previous year. Fraud fell to 73 recorded offences from 139 the previous year, with receiving numbering 29 offences from 46 previously. Overall recorded dishonesty offences dropped 4.7 percent.
Police Minister George Hawkins said crime fell in 10 of New Zealand's 12 police districts, with crime up by only 1.4 percent in each of the two remaining Districts.
On a per 10,000 head of population basis the results looked even more impressive, with crime falling in every Police District, Mr Hawkins said.
"Looked at from this angle, crime fell 6.5 percent across the country for the year, with Counties Manukau, Central and Auckland Police Districts clocking spectacular falls of 16.5 percent, 12.8 percent and 11.8 percent respectively," Mr Hawkins said.
"This year's crime stats represent the lowest recorded offences per 10,000 head of population since 1983, a simply stunning result," he said.
Nationally, recorded dishonesty offences including burglary, car conversion, fraud and theft fell 6.7 percent, sexual offences 4 per cent, property abuse 6 percent, and administrative categories 24.7 percent. Violence offences appeared to be levelling off, falling 1 percent.
Mr Hawkins said the results reflected a supportive government prepared to ensure staff had the resources to do their job. "Figures like these show Police deserve the community's thanks for such a fine result and also dispel the myth they focus solely on traffic offences at the expense of other crime," Mr Hawkins said.
This support included a police budget at its highest ever at over $1b a year, police numbers at their highest ever with 7450 sworn officers and 2287 non-sworn staff,
a $70m building programme to ensure new, upgraded or refurbished buildings, and a new vehicle purchasing programme that would see up to $29.2m spent on around 850 new vehicles in each of the next three financial years.
At 45.1 percent, New Zealand's resolution rate was among the best in the world.
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