I posted previously on an apparent anomoly where the reported number of domestic violence offences had decreased significantly even though the number of investigations into domestic violence incidents had increased.
This morning the Herald on Sunday is reporting on another anomaly where South Auckland police have hidden burglaries by categorising them as lesser offences. From the article:
Police altered official crime statistics to make hundreds of burglaries disappear, aHerald on Sunday investigation has found.
A damning report obtained by the newspaper reveals the burglaries were instead recorded as more minor crimes, or as incidents, which are not counted in crime statistics at all.
Five police staff, including then area commander Gary Hill, were sanctioned over the incident, and an “extremely disappointed” Police Minister, Anne Tolley, has moved to reassure the public this is an isolated incident.
About 700 burglaries were “recoded” in the Counties Manukau south area over three years, an internal police investigation has found. It found that about 70 per cent of the time, the offences should have remained burglaries.
Police Minister Anne Tolley is denying knowledge.
Police have not said why the statistics were altered, but say staff were not under instruction to do so. Tolley denied police were under political pressure to reduce burglary statistics.
This is a very strange statement to make. Are we meant to believe that officers are doing this off their own bat to help the Government to give the illusion that crime is under control?
The next time that a National Minister trumpets a reduction in the crime rate New Zealanders are entitled to ask if this is really the case. And what is happening within the ranks of the police that is making them doctor the crime statistics for political advantage.
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