Newman Muriel: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Newman Muriel: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:619;Page:15109] 
11.  
Dr MURIEL NEWMAN (Deputy Leader—ACT) 
 to the  
Minister of Police 
: What has been the average time taken to attend burglary complaints in Counties-Manukau in the 6 months to June 2004 and what was the longest time taken? 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS (Minister of Police) 
: 
 I am advised that the average response time is 20 hours and 51 minutes. Because of the way the information relating to the other part of the question is stored I am not able to supply that at the moment but I will give a copy to the member as soon as it is available. I remind the House that burglary responses are often arranged at the convenience of the victim. Burglaries in the Counties-Manukau district have dropped from 9069 in 2002-03 to only 8006 this year a drop of 1063 burglaries. That is pretty good. 
Dr Muriel Newman 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The question had two parts to it: the average time and longest time. I do not think the Minister answered the second part about the longest time. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I do. The Minister said he would give the member some more information. 
Dr Muriel Newman 
: Is the slowing of the response time to burglaries over the last 3 years in nine out of the 12 police districts around New Zealand due to the fact that experienced senior police officers have been forced away from investigating crime in order to issue traffic tickets or is it because the police have been tied up in dealing with the 14 percent rise in violent crime since he has been Minister? 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: Neither. 
Georgina Beyer 
: What other information does the Minister have on crime in Counties-Manukau since the 2001-02 fiscal year and does the Minister have any comment on police work in general? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The first part of the question can be answered and the second part may be briefly commented on. 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: There has been a huge drop in the number of burglaries a drop in theft from 13400 cases to 11495 a drop in violent crime from 6167 cases to 5337 and a drop in overall dishonesty from 29885 cases to 27295. The police in New Zealand are doing a good job and I think all members should congratulate them on the work they are doing rather than give them the bagging that has gone on over the last 12 months. 
Dr Muriel Newman 
: What is the Minister’s response to the complaint from the Commissioner of Police that his strategy of directing the majority of newly funded sworn staff into traffic policing has eroded the flexibility historically available to the commissioner to sort out problem areas as they emerge; and has that not resulted in delays in the police investigating burglaries in nine out of the 12 police districts while the number of traffic tickets issued has trebled outperforming all the police’s performance targets? 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: The commissioner sets the policy of where he will send new staff; I have nothing to do with that. I think the member should look at the facts. Road policing is being well done and today’s crime stats show that policing is being done well across the country. General crime is down and our roads are generally safer. That member should thank the police rather than bag them as she always does.