45,000 fewer crimes a year by 2017

Justice Minister Judith Collins says the Government’s Better Public Services justice sector targets will mean 45,000 fewer crimes, 7,500 fewer violent crimes, and 600 fewer young people appearing in court each year from 2017.

Targets to reduce overall crime by 15 per cent, violent crime by 20 per cent and youth crime by 5 per cent over five years were announced by the Prime Minister today as part of the Government’s Better Public Services programme.

Ms Collins says the Government is committed to reducing crime and the impact it has on people and communities.

“Achieving today’s targets and reducing reoffending by 25 per cent by 2017 will mean fewer victims of crime.

“Progress against these targets will be reported on regularly. New Zealanders can monitor how the justice sector is doing, and hold us accountable.”

Ms Collins says the achievements over the past few years – with less crime and fewer people in courts and prisons – puts the justice sector in a good position to make progress toward the targets.

“Fewer people moving through the justice system means the sector can shift focus and resource from dealing with growth to improving effectiveness.”

Ms Collins says justice sector ministers, agencies and chief executives will continue to work closely together to target agencies’ collective resources toward getting the best possible results.

About the targets

Results for each target will be reported on regularly from October 2012 on the State Services Commission website (www.ssc.govt.nz).

Achieving these targets will see the:

• number of crimes committed per 10,000 people reduce from 980 in the year to June 2011, to 833 in the year to June 2017.
• number of violent crimes committed per 10,000 people reduce from 108 in the year to June 2011, to 87 in the year to June 2017.
• number of 14-16 year olds appearing in court reduce from 338 per 10,000 14-16 year olds in the year to June 2011, to 321 in the year to June 2017.
• rate of re-imprisonment within 12 months of release reduce from 27.1 per cent in the year to June 2011, to 20.3 per cent in the year to June 2017.
• rate of reconviction for community-sentenced offenders within 12 months of starting their sentence reduce from 30.4 per cent in the year to June 2011, to 22.8 per cent in the year to June 2017.

Ms Collins is the lead justice sector minister responsible for achieving the crime, violent crime, youth crime and reoffending targets in collaboration with the Ministers of Police, Corrections, Courts and the Attorney-General. The Ministry of Justice’s Andrew Bridgman is the lead public service chief executive.