Crime and justice

Statistics about crime and justice include the number of apprehensions by and crimes recorded by the New Zealand Police, prosecutions and convictions in the criminal courts, the types of sentences imposed, and information on the number of people who are in prison or serving community-based sentences.

Latest news

Statistics NZ have recently released Child and youth prosecution statistics: 1992–2010 for the first time. These tables have been released in conjunction with the Ministry of Justice, who published an annual report using the data.

The tables contain information on the number of children and young people prosecuted and sentenced in the Youth Court. Statistics relating to the offence committed, the Youth Court outcome, and the order (or sentence) imposed are all available in the tables. Demographic data such as age, gender and ethnicity is also included.

Data

• New Zealand Police recorded crime and apprehensions tables
  Produced six-monthly, they record crime statistics containing the number of offences recorded and resolved by the Police, where these offences occurred, and changes over time at the national and subnational level. Apprehension statistics contain demographic statistics of persons apprehended, as well as how their offending was resolved by Police.
• Conviction and sentencing tables
  Released annually, conviction and sentencing statistics contain information on prosecutions and convictions relating to both charges and people, by court, type of offence, demographics, and type of outcome or sentence.
• Child and youth prosecution tables
  Released for the first time recently, the child and youth prosecution statistics contain information on the number of children and young people prosecuted and sentenced in the Youth Court.

Information about data

• Changes in published homicide statistics 2006–2008 Provides information on revisions to homicide statistics.
• Australian and New Zealand Standard Offence Classification
  Provides information on the offence classification the justice sector adopted in July 2010.

Reports and articles

• Progress report for 2009 review of Crime and Criminal Justice Statistics: July 2011
  Summarises progress to date on the implementation of the recommendations of the review of crime and criminal justice statistics.
• Crime victimisation patterns in New Zealand: New Zealand General Social Survey 2008 and New Zealand Crime and Safety Survey 2006 compared 
  Compares victimisation measures between the two surveys to see if the socio-demographic characteristics of victims in the two surveys are similar
• Ageing and violent crime in New Zealand 
  Documents trends in age-sex specific offence and apprehension rates for violent crime in New Zealand, and estimates the impact of population change on offence rates and justice sector expenditure for violent crime.
• Review of crime and criminal justice statistics: Progress report June 2010
  The first annual report on the implementation of the recommendations of the review of crime and criminal justice statistics.
• Patterns in police apprehensions in New Zealand: 2005/06 to 2008/09
  This report gives a picture of who is being apprehended, how they are being dealt with, and the seriousness of their offending.
• Review of crime and criminal justice statistics 2009 
  The review identifies enduring research and policy information needs, where these are currently met, where there are gaps, and identifies the key areas for statistical development in the field of crime and criminal justice.
• Crime in New Zealand: 1996–2005
  This report provides a descriptive overview of trends in recorded crime in New Zealand.
• Crime in New Zealand: 1994–2000 
  This report provides a descriptive overview of trends in recorded crime in New Zealand.
  

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