Violent crime soars in decade

By JO-MARIE BROWN

The Opposition is blaming police cuts for the increase in violent crime.

The number of offences has almost doubled in the past 10 years.

Provisional violent crime statistics released by Police Minister George Hawkins yesterday showed 1892 more violent offences were committed last year than in 1999.

The 5 per cent jump was the first significant increase since 1994, but over the decade violent crime was up by 77 per cent.

The number of homicide, kidnapping, abduction, robbery, assault, intimidation, threat and unlawful group assembly offences committed last year was 41,580 compared with 22,391 committed in 1990.

Mr Hawkins said yesterday that welfare cuts in the early 1990s, unemployment and a harder line on domestic violence were responsible for the overall increase.

While figures for last year were disappointing, he urged the public to be patient.

New anti-burglary and youth crime initiatives, along with Justice Minister Phil Goff's planned Sentencing and Parole Reform Bill, should reduce violent crime.

But National's police spokesman, Tony Ryall, blamed Mr Hawkins' cuts in front-line police staff for the increase.

"The increase in violent crime is completely predictable given the cutbacks to policing under Labour-Alliance," he said.

"The number of police on the beat is running under what it should be."

Police received an extra $86 million in last year's Budget but have been urged by Mr Hawkins to cut costs wherever possible.

Auckland police motorway units have been told to park during rush-hour to save fuel, some cellphones have had to be returned and the number of samples sent for DNA testing has been restricted.

Three recruit intakes were put on hold, and Mr Hawkins also questioned why recruits should receive a salary and have their student fees paid while training.

But the minister hit back at such criticism yesterday, saying there were more police now than ever.

New Zealand had simply become a more violent society and it would take time to reverse the trend.

"It might take a few years because there are so many people whose behaviour is unacceptable that we've got to try to turn them around.

"I think this Government has done more than any other to try to arrest what has been a bad nine-year slide."

Figures also showed police resolved 76.6 per cent of violent crimes last year, up 0.1 per cent from 1999.