By MONIQUE DEVEREUX
There has been an increase in the number of murders in Auckland, kidnappings in the Waikato and robberies in Northland, regional crime figures show.
Robbery was the crime least likely to be solved last year in every region, for the third year in a row.
The figures were taken from the national provisional violent crime statistics, announced by Police Minister George Hawkins on Friday.
National's police spokesman, Tony Ryall, yesterday released the regional figures after Mr Hawkins had refused.
Across the country, violent crime was up 5 per cent on 1999, although the number of offences have almost doubled over the past decade.
In Auckland City, there were seven murders compared with five the year before.
Six of the seven murders were solved. In 1999, all five cases were solved.
In the Waikato, there were 15 kidnappings last year - up four from the previous year. Eleven of the cases were solved.
Of the region's nine murder inquiries, only three were solved - the worst rate in the upper North Island.
In the past three years, Waikato police have solved only 68 per cent of the region's murders - 22 out of 32 cases - compared with 86 per cent in Auckland, 77 per cent in the Bay of Plenty and 83 per cent for Northland.
Police in Northland solved their four murder cases last year, but less than half of the region's robberies, which increased 28 per cent on the previous year.
East Coast police also wrapped up all six of their murder cases last year.
Three-quarters of the murders in New Zealand last year were solved.
Police were most successful at solving serious assaults and worst at robberies.
Only 34.4 per cent of robbery cases resulted in an arrest.
In Greater Auckland, reported crime rose by 3.4 per cent in Auckland City, 16 per cent in North Shore/Waitakere area and 10 per cent in Counties-Manukau.
Mr Ryall said the figures showed the pressure police were under and the "obvious need for more police."
Mr Hawkins did not return calls to the Herald last night.
More murders, kidnappings and robbery cases
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