Crime Reduction Strategy Main Page
Introduction | Framework Diagram | Selection of Priority Areas and At Risk Groups | Strategies and Actions | Local Partnerships
The 7 priority areas selected for the Crime Reduction Strategy are:
1. Family violence and child abuse
2. Other violence and sexual violence
3. Serious traffic offending
4. Youth offending and reoffending
5. Burglary
6. Theft of and from cars
7. Organised crime
Within these 7 areas, interventions are to be aimed at particular at-risk groups involved in, or affected by, crime as potential or actual offenders and potential or actual victims.
The two key sources of information on levels of crime in New Zealand are
The
New Zealand National Survey of Crime Victims 2001 and
Police Statistics. Click on the links to find out more.
Criteria
Criminal activities and at-risk groups were identified as priority areas for the Crime Reduction Strategy because they met specific criteria. They were:
High volume crimes
Crimes committed in large numbers impose high social and economic costs on the
community overall. Successful interventions to reduce these crimes would make an
appreciable impact in terms of overall crime reduction.
Crimes which have a disproportionate impact on victims and/or the
community
These offences are either very serious, involve vulnerable individuals or
comprise significant repeat victimisation.
Patterns of criminal offending (by offence category or risk group) where
New Zealand compares unfavourably with international experience
Where international comparisons are not favourable for New Zealand (and
acknowledging that such comparisons are often unreliable), they can suggest that
there are effective interventions or other factors present in overseas
jurisdictions which could contribute to crime reductions if applied here.
Other types of crime which on the basis of available evidence offer the
scope to intervene cost effectively.
There are limited resources available to spend on crime prevention and
reduction, so the expense of particular interventions needs to be warranted by
results.
Family violence and child abuse
Family violence and child abuse were recommended as a priority area for two
reasons: they are high volume crimes; and often have a disproportionate impact
on victims. In particular, children exposed to family violence are at greater
risk of poor life outcomes, including later offending, and often continue the
cycle of violence and abuse.
Other violence and sexual violence
Reducing other violence, including sexual violence, were recommended as a
priority area because of the high volume of offences, and their disproportionate
impact on victims and the general public (including increased fear of crime).
The New Zealand National Survey of Crime Victims (1996) showed a high degree of
repeat victimisation in the twelve months leading up to the survey, 6.1% of the
victims of violence having been victimised more than five times and accounting
for 68.4% of total violent offences.
Serious traffic offending
Serious traffic offending includes dangerous driving causing death or injury,
drunk driving, and driving while disqualified. These offences are committed in
large numbers and with disproportionate impacts on victims. The increase in such
offences is imposing significant costs on society and the criminal justice
system. Alternative interventions that are likely to be cost-effective are
available to reduce serious traffic offending. Strategies to address road safety
are primarily being addressed in the transport sector, working with Police.
However, cross sector coordination is also needed over issues such as penalties
enforcement and programmes for offenders. Including this priority in the Crime
Reduction Strategy will ensure that this dimension of road safety strategy is
addressed within the justice sector, but will not duplicate other actions in the
development of the 2010 road safety strategy.
Youth offending and reoffending
Youth offending was recommended as a priority area because of the potential for
cost-effective intervention. Because those who begin offending early are more
likely to become persistent adult offenders, it is likely to be cost-effective
to target youth offenders at a formative stage when their behaviours are
amenable to change. The fiscal and social costs of high risk persistent adult
offending are extremely high.
Burglary
Burglary was recommended as a priority area for three reasons: it involves a
large number of offences; has a disproportionate impact on victims, particularly
where homes and/or personal property are affected; and cost-effective
interventions are available. Well-defined situational crime prevention
initiatives such as target hardening (making targets of crime less vulnerable)
can have an impact in reducing burglary and repeat victimisation.
Theft of cars and from cars
Car theft is a priority for two reasons: it is a high volume crime with high
recidivism rates; and specific strategies to reduce theft of and from cars in
Britain and Australia are considered to be effective, suggesting that we have
scope to achieve improvement in NZ.
Organised criminal activity
Through organised crime groups, a significant proportion of serious offences
involving theft and burglary, the importation, production and sale of drugs, the
theft of motor vehicles and violent crime are committed by a relatively small
number of offenders. There is scope to make a significant impact on overall
levels of crime through co-ordinated efforts by Police and other enforcement
agencies to effectively tackle organised crime.
Within the seven priority crime areas, interventions are to be aimed at
particular at risk groups involved in, or affected by, crime as potential or
actual offenders and potential or actual victims. They include: Maori, Pacific
peoples, 'at risk' families, and those affected by drugs, alcohol or gambling.
These groups are not self-contained areas for intervention. Maori and Pacific
people are more likely to live in families who are at risk, to be victims of
violent offences, and to be over-represented in the most adverse drug and
alcohol statistics.
The success of the Crime Reduction Strategy will depend to a significant degree
on its responsiveness to the needs of at risk groups. These needs are complex
and it is not helpful to address them as a single priority or goal (with the
exception of youth offending for the reasons noted above). Rather, they present
themes to be addressed as appropriate in each of the priority areas, and should
be picked up in the implementation detail in specific action plans and targets.
Victims
The 1994 strategy included a goal to address the concerns of victims and
potential victims. Not having an explicit goal about victims in the new strategy
should not be perceived as devaluing them. As noted above, a more comprehensive
focus on the needs of victims in each priority area is appropriate, as is the
recognition that young people and in particular Māori and Pacific youth are most
likely to become victims and repeat victims of violence.
Māori
Māori are over-represented generally across offending and victimisation
statistics. There should be specific interventions for Māori under most of the
priority areas: especially youth and violence, with promotion and support of
Māori and Pacific community defined and based crime reduction interventions.
Effective interventions to reduce this level of over-representation will need to
address wider risk factors associated with offending by directing appropriate
resources and programmes to areas with higher levels of social and economic
need.
Pacific
Pacific people are also over-represented in some offending and victimisation
statistics, in particular, violence and family violence. They too will form an
increasing proportion of the population and risk continuing over-representation
unless specific interventions are implemented.
At risk families
The 1994 strategy included an output-orientated goal to improve the
effectiveness of support for at risk families. Children from families with poor
functioning are at risk of poor outcomes generally and serious persistent
offenders tend to come from severely dysfunctional families that rate poorly on
a range of socio-economic factors. International evidence shows that intervening
early in the life of the child is cost effective. Therefore this group should
receive specific attention especially under the violence and youth offending
goals both in terms of reducing risk and building protective factors into our
systems.
Those affected by drugs, alcohol or gambling
Those needing treatment for addiction related to their criminal behaviour (in
relation to alcohol, drugs and gambling) should be included as a specific
intervention within priority areas because of the link with offending. There is
also evidence that drug and alcohol treatments can reduce offending and are cost
effective. The National Drug Policy was set up in response to the goal in the
1994 New Zealand Crime Prevention Strategy about managing alcohol and drug
abuse. This Policy mandates services for the general population and offenders.
In order to avoid duplication of activities, it makes sense to link the
activities under the National Drug Policy, and to link justice interventions
with the major crime priorities identified