Nats talk up crime, policy absent

Written By: - Date published: 5:04 pm, March 19th, 2008 - 20 comments
Categories: crime, election 2008 - Tags: ,

As part of its ‘New Zealand sucks’ campaign, National is on its high horse over an international survey that shows New Zealand’s crime victimisation rate is one of the higher ones in a group of 30 developed countries.

Comparing crime levels across countries is bloody hard because of different laws, reporting practices, and reporting rates (both to Police and surveyors). This survey makes a good crack at it but does only include 10 categories of crime, and ignores corporate offending all together. And, it is only a survey; fewer than a thousand New Zealanders participated, so this is no substitute for official recorded crime data. And, the data is from 2003-04.

So, with those caveats in mind, what does the survey say? It says in 2003-04 New Zealand survey participants reported a higher rate of victimisation (21.5 out of 100) than other developed countries, like the US Sweden, Germany, France, and Australia, and a lower victimisation rate than Ireland, England, and Wales. The lowest rate was reported in Sweden, with 16.1 and the highest in Ireland with 21.8, a variation of 5.7 crimes per 100 people. (date here, pgs 43 and 238-240).

It also says victimisation had decreased 16.3% between 1991 (the only other year New Zealand participated in the survey) and 2003-04. Based on official crime stats, crime has dropped another 5.9% since then. There is certainly work to do, and it would be good for New Zealand’s crime rate to keep falling but National is simply playing politics and trying to make the situation look worse than it is.

What is National’s crime policy anyway? They opposed the new prisions and the addition of 1000 new police. And remember what happened last time they were in?

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20 comments on “Nats talk up crime, policy absent ”

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  1. Smithers 1
    19 March 2008 at 6:25 pm

    What is National’s policy anyway … ask and you shall receive

    [Please provide a link rather than copy and pasting a page of text]

  3. randal 3
    19 March 2008 at 7:38 pm

    thnaks for the info steve…the Nats dont have a policy on crime…for them it will just be business as usual and all their mates in the JUSTICE INDUSTRY will make big dough whether crime increases or decreases.

  4. James Kearney 4
    19 March 2008 at 8:08 pm

    Smithers- that’s 2005 policy.

  5. ghostwhowalks 5
    19 March 2008 at 8:11 pm

    Its often forgotten that the Nats were the first to solve the prison crowding in the early 90s by indroducing the “one third ” rule for serving time in prison.
    meant that no new prisons were needed through out the 90s until they outsourced the running ( but not the building) of Auckland Remand to the ‘prisons for profit’
    Next comes Hospitals for profit
    Schools for profit…

  6. deemac 6
    19 March 2008 at 8:33 pm

    comparisons with other countries are fraught with problems. In the UK crime in many categories appears to be falling – this is because it is very difficult to report it! You can’t dial 999 (the UK 111 number) unless the crime is still in progress. You have to ring a non-emergency number that typically leaves you on hold (ie you pay for the call) for 45 minutes or so just to make sure you aren’t joking. They give you a crime number (needed for insurance claims) then if you want them to investigate the crime you will be told to go to a police station. At the station there will be another wait – again typically 45 minutes but often longer. Making a simple statement takes around an hour. I laugh when people say how bad things are in NZ; they are just displaying their ignorance about the rest of the world.

  7. The Double Standard 7
    19 March 2008 at 10:01 pm

    How about a pretty chart for violent crimes?

    If you really want to show the effect of Teh Party’s reign, create one for violent crime in Counties-Manakau

  8. Dean 8
    19 March 2008 at 10:10 pm

    “I laugh when people say how bad things are in NZ; they are just displaying their ignorance about the rest of the world.”

    So. Because things are worse in other countries, people here are silly if they think what they’re getting isn’t good enough?

    Logic. It fails you.

  9. Ari 9
    20 March 2008 at 3:14 am

    I’m amused that you call out National on not voting for new prisons when we’re already well up their on the ranks of countries that over-imprison their population. Much better would be calling them on their lack of focus on preventative action, good education, and human rights, all of which are likely causes of crime trends.

  10. Robinsod 10
    20 March 2008 at 8:51 am

    If you really want to show the effect of Teh Party’s reign, create one for violent crime in Counties-Manakau

    TDS – Why don’t you post a link, bro? I’m sure the research unit could prepare one for you. Is Kev back yet? Actually, come to think of it you stopped posting while he was away. My god, you’re Kevin Taylor! No wonder the wheels are coming of the Nats spin-machine…

  11. James Kearney 11
    20 March 2008 at 8:53 am

    TDS- if you’re going to be so selective why not look at burglaries in Epsom, multiple homicides in Dunedin or vandalism on the West Coast?

  12. Robinsod 12
    20 March 2008 at 8:59 am

    Nah Jimmy – the standard should chart crime in my living room. I’ll help out: illegal drug use has dropped 95% since 2000 (goddamn it!) and burglaries have dropped 100% since 1997. It truly is a better way under labour…

  13. mike 13
    20 March 2008 at 9:42 am

    “As part of its ‘New Zealand sucks’ campaign”
    Steve, a correction – Its a ‘Labour sucks’ campaign he’s driving.
    He wouldn’t be wanting to lead a country he didn’t like would he

  14. Brownie 14
    20 March 2008 at 10:11 am

    Lol @ Sod! Journalism must rue the day they lost ys. Good call.

  15. Murray 15
    20 March 2008 at 10:51 am

    Does anyone here think Annette Kings up shit street ?

  16. Matthew Pilott 16
    20 March 2008 at 11:11 am

    mike, if you missed that point then I fear all is lost for you. His clear policy has been New Zealand Sucks. The point being he’s here to ‘make it better’. Gak.

    Murray – top marks for an attempt at engagement, champ.

  17. the sprout 17
    20 March 2008 at 11:42 am

    “Smithers- that’s 2005 [National] policy”

    that’s about as good as it gets. is National’s 2005 policy the same as it’s 2008 policy – who knows? Key doesn’t seem to.

    as jane clifton recently wrote, he doesn’t even seem to know what he’s covering up.

  18. Ari 18
    20 March 2008 at 11:45 am

    Mike: If he’s trying to point out that Labour sucks, perhaps he should stop pointing out things that are completely out of their control in order to create a climate of discontent?

  19. Tane 19
    20 March 2008 at 11:45 am

    Well it depends on what day it is sprout. When you point out their lack of crime policy they’ll give you 2005’s. Ask them whether National’s 2005 policy on workers’ rights still holds and they’ll tell you that was three years ago under Don Brash and has nothing to do with their 2008 policy (which they won’t talk about).

  20. mike 20
    20 March 2008 at 11:52 am

    “Mike: If he’s trying to point out that Labour sucks, perhaps he should stop pointing out things that are completely out of their control in order to create a climate of discontent?”

    Ari – So when the economy is strong its due to Labour but when it shits itself its out of their control. Good one