Police have challenged statistics cited by National Party police spokesman Tony Ryall showing a 4.4 per cent rise in violent crime in the Waikato last year.
The figures, which come after a 3.8 per cent drop in violent crime in 1999, show kidnappings up 36 per cent and violent robberies up 6 per cent. However, Inspector Kevin Powell says there are discrepancies between the figures quoted by Mr Ryall and the data kept by Waikato police.
"For example, statistics he has quoted state that only three of the nine homicides that occurred in the Waikato in the year 2000 have been resolved. In fact we have resolved all nine."
Inspector Powell also says it is misleading to quote percentage changes on offences like kidnapping (up from 11 in 1999 to 15 in 2000) and other very serious crime when the base numbers are so small.
- WAIKATO THIS WEEK
Police challenge Waikato crime figures
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