Criminals beware! If you commit a crime in Northland you are more likely to be caught than anywhere else in New Zealand.
According to the crime figures for 2008, released by police yesterday, Northland has the best crime fighters with the region's 320 officers resolving nearly 57 per cent of reported crimes.
Of 15,875 crimes reported in Northland, 8368 were resolved.
The bad news is violent crimes have risen 6.4 per cent, while there were 26 more reported sexual attacks last year than in 2007.
The resolution rate is the highest achieved by Northland police in the past 10 years and is well above the national average of 47 per cent.
The region's top policeman, Superintendent Mike Rusbatch, credited the positive results to improved forensic capabilities, revised interviewing practices, better informants and work with victims.
"It's a long journey, but we are satisfied with the result - but we still want to see crime come down," Mr Rusbatch said.
While there were fewer homicides last year, violent offending rose with more minor assaults and threats. There were 27 reports of kidnapping and abduction but the good news was 22 cases were resolved.
Mr Rusbatch attributed the rise to increased reporting of family violence. He said police staff were better equipped to deal with investigating family violence.
As a victim of violent crime, Paihia man Kelly Joyce reckons he knows how to start reducing violence - get tougher on those who commit the offences.
Mr Kelly was savagely beaten by brothers Adrian, 19, and Alan Thompson, 22, in Paihia.
The two were sentenced to seven months' home detention and seven months' imprisonment respectively, a "pathetic sentence" that has Mr Joyce fuming.
"That's hogwash. They left me struggling for my life. I died and had to be brought back to life.
"I'll be affected by this for the rest of my life and things will never be the same again for me."
He said if the country wanted violent crime to reduce it had to get the message through to the judiciary to give violent thugs far tougher sentences.
Kaiwaka's George Ashby is the face of the Government's "it's not okay" family violence prevention programme and was disappointed domestic violence continued to rise in the North.
He urged those who used violence to seek help.
"You are not alone. There are plenty of places and people to help," he said.
The rise in drug and antisocial offending was due to cannabis offences.
Last year's annual cannabis operation saw more than 45,000 cannabis plants sprayed or ripped out and more than 200 people arrested. Mr Rusbatch said: "With 40 per cent of the country's cannabis crop coming from Northland, we will keep targeting those people who grow, supply and manufacture illicit drugs."
Dishonesty offences fell, including a 15 per cent drop in burglaries, a 13 per cent decrease in car conversions and 6 per cent fewer thefts.
However, that was offset by a whopping 47 per cent jump in fraud offences.
Whangarei Kaipara area commander Paul Dimery was clear with his message.
"If you commit a crime in New Zealand, you are more likely to be caught in Northland than anywhere else in the country." • The Good
Northland police bestcrime solvers in NZ
Burglaries, car theft drops
• The Bad
Violent offending increases 6.4%
Sexual attacks up 27%
• and The Ugly
4 homicides
16 reports of animal abuse
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