Dwelling burglary is a high incidence crime. It significantly affects its many victims, and ranks highly in people's fear of crime in their communities.
In 2001, my Office reported on how the Police investigate and work to prevent dwelling burglaries. We made a number of recommendations.
In 2004, during consultation on my Draft Annual Plan 2004-05, members of Parliament asked me to follow up on progress made by the Police since the 2001 report. Given the significance of burglary to many New Zealanders, I agreed to this request.
I am pleased to report that the Police have made considerable improvements since 2001 in how they deal with dwelling burglary. This includes more effective use of forensic and intelligence analysis, increased accountability for results, and a greater sharing of good practice. However, because many factors can affect crime rates, I have not been able to assess the extent to which the improvements have contributed to the generally downward trend in recorded dwelling burglary offences.
I thank the Police for their assistance and co-operation during my follow-up audit.
K B Brady
Controller and Auditor-General
7 February 2006