A 6.7 percent drop in total recorded crime per head of population in 2010 is a tribute to intensified crime fighting work by Police, Police Minister Judith Collins said.

The drop in crime compares to a 3.6 percent increase in the 2009 calendar year.

During 2010 most crime categories showed a decrease. There were 46 murders in 2010 compared to 65 in 2009, a drop of 23.6 percent. Fraud offences were down 26.9 percent, weapons offences were down 8.9 percent, drug offences were down 7.7 percent and burglaries were down 3.4 percent.

Family violence continued to increase (+1.2 percent), but at a much lower rate than in previous years.

All but one Police District (Eastern) recorded decreases in the number of total offences. Adjusted for population growth, all districts recorded fewer offences per head of population last year.

“I am very pleased that recorded crime showed a decrease in 2010. This result is a tribute to the dedication and hard work by our law enforcement officers,” Ms Collins said.

“However, this result does not signal a victory over the criminals. While the decrease is consistent with a long-term trend, our crime rates are still unacceptably high.

“Police are applying intense pressure to criminals, and there will be no let up.

“Armed with hundreds of extra frontline officers, no-nonsense new legislation and new tools such as tasers and digital communications, Police will continue to send a strong message that crime will not be tolerated.”

There were 426,345 recorded offences during the year compared to 451,405 in 2009.

The resolution rate dropped slightly, from 47.8 percent in 2009 to 47.5 percent in 2010 due to a reduction in the volume of offences that have high resolution rates.

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