WELLINGTON, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- New data showed a significant drop in the number of people who have been victims of crime in New Zealand, Police Minister Stuart Nash said on Friday.
In the year to Oct. 31, 2018, the number of victimizations recorded by Police fell by 3.5 percent, which means 9,353 fewer people were victims of a crime during the year, Nash said in a statement.
The fall in recorded crime equates to 1,304 fewer crimes against a person and 8,049 fewer crimes against property, he said, adding there were 6,377 fewer burglaries and clearance rates for burglary have increased.
"Burglaries are a key focus for Police. It is an invasive crime which greatly affects how safe people feel in their homes and communities," the minister said.
As one of the greatest crime prevention tools is the visibility of Police in the community, the government strives to increase Police numbers by 1,800 extra officers, he said.
"We have a particular focus on community policing and organized crime, which is a driver of crimes such as burglary and assault," Nash added.
