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Thursday, February 28, 2008

Study finds reported crime is decreasing


Study finds reported crime is decreasing
The rate of reported crime is decreasing, according to a recent study at Auckland University Law School. It suggests there were just over 100 offences for every 1,000 people in the 2006/2007 year, compared with almost 130 per 1,000 in the 1996/1997 year. Researcher and Associate Professor of Law at Auckland University, Julia Tolmie, says the results contradict popular perceptions about crime. She says a lot of published reports on crime focus on trends from one year to the next, or concentrate on the incidence of one particular type of crime. Ms Tolmie says although crime is not increasing, the number of people being locked up is on the rise. She says while roughly the same number of people are being caught, there are more prosecutions and longer convictions. She calls this 'punitive sentencing creep', and claims it is largely unrelated to the incidence or seriousness of criminal offending. Ms Tolmie says sending more people to prison does not deter them from committing more crime. She says prison is both ineffective and prohibitively expensive. Her findings form part of a book to be launched at Auckland University Law School on Friday, looking at what causes people to commit crime, and trends in criminal justice.

Well, well, well – the if-it-bleeds-it-leads news media has more to do with promoting the fear that grips the middle class which prompts them to scream for bigger and longer sentences that conservative politicians like Simon Power leap on and ride into election year (Simon called for this blog site to be shut down last year because Tim was writing blogs from within prison). While the fear mongering and manipulation of that fear continues, we lock more and more people up in underfunded racist, corrupt and violent prisons and then don’t understand when the prisoners come out more damaged than when they went in. Well done NZ, round of applause please.

11 Comments:

At 28/2/08 8:06 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Reported crime - REPORTED.

In South Auckland at least most crime is not REPORTED, why waste time. By ignoring reports the police have effectively trained people not to bother them.

People have also been forced to change their habits to protect themselves, staying in (after dark particularly) is a sensible idea, especially if you are white. I lived in SA (I am one of the lucky ones and escaped) and I can assure you crime is increasing - or maybe I imagined it. People have become desensitised so what used to be considered crime is now just accepted as normal there.

Maybe where you live poppet its all white, safe and fine – go live in SA and take your white cook with you with you, do let us know if you ‘allow’ her to go out alone, then tell us how wonderful it all is.

Ask the insurance companies what they think, by the way governments and their servants doctor figures to make them say what they want them to say, but you know that don’t you, what with all that schooling and stuff you have.

 
At 29/2/08 5:50 am, Blogger Bomber said...

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At 29/2/08 5:52 am, Blogger Bomber said...

...
well we will have the researcher on Let's be Frank this Tuesday and we'll mention your claims that most crime go unreported in South Auckland to the expert and see what she has to say now won't we poppet?

Let's Be Frank - Current Affairs as if they mattered, Alt Tv 8.30pm Tuesday

 
At 29/2/08 8:41 am, Anonymous Anonymous said...

"well we will have the researcher on Let's be Frank this Tuesday and we'll mention your claims that most crime go unreported in South Auckland to the expert and see what she has to say now won't we poppet?"

Yeah you do that Bomber. And while you are at it ask him whether Dr Kim McGregor, director of Rape Prevention and Education claims that:
"Only 9 per cent of rapes are reported to the police in this country,'' she said. "When the rape complaints get to the police, 60 per cent to 80 per cent of them will be knocked off at the investigation stage. Only 15 per cent of them may make it through to court.''

You crack me up. You see, a few weeks ago you took Dr McGregor's claims completely at face value.
She gave no evidence to back these figures up, and you asked for none.
In response I asked you:

And she is basing this pretty damn bold claim on what exactly?

When the country gets itself in a flap over gang violence and youth stabbings on the streets you tell us we are being hysterical and that it's all a media beat-up, gangs aren't really much of a problem.

Yet after one dubious decision in a recent rape trial [the Tea Ropati case], you want us to beleive that the country is awash with rapists, you accept at face value a dodgy and unsubstantiated claim that only 1% of rapes are successfully prosecuted.



So tell us Bomber, which is it? Either Dr Kim McGregor fabricating or there is actually a huge problem in NZ where serious crime is not getting reported to the police because they are too useless to do anything about it, and you get to act like a smug sanctimonious tosser, calling people poppet if their claims don't suit your agenda.

You can't have it both ways.

 
At 29/2/08 11:42 am, Blogger Bomber said...

LOL - Poppet weren't you the first to use poppet, isn't that the pot calling the kettle smug? I've said that I'll raise these issues, one would have imagined you'd be thrilled that instead of just howling at the moon on a blog posting that you'd have a chance to have a question asked of the person you are howling at - but no, just more smugness throwing - yes reported crime is down, but one would imagine wouldn't one that if the reported sex crimes are low now with our more 'open' system they would have been even less reported in the past, so while we have low recorded sex attacks, they would have been much lower previously. It sounds like you are the one wanting it both ways now anonymous poster.

BTW poppetYeah you do that Bomber. And while you are at it ask him

the law professor is a she.

 
At 29/2/08 8:12 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

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At 29/2/08 8:23 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

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At 29/2/08 9:03 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

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At 2/3/08 7:05 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

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At 3/3/08 7:52 am, Blogger Bomber said...

...
Ha Ha can't take it hey poppet, cry to mummy or hit the delete button....... loser.
Sigh - when you have a valid point to make it can stay, but just abuse and personal comments are a little below you, come along chaps, lift your game

 
At 4/3/08 7:27 am, Blogger Bomber said...

Check out "Let's be Frank" on alt tv. sky 65 Tuesday 8.30pm for the interview with Julia, where we put some of these criticisms to her

 

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