Key points
Surveys of criminal victimisation generally provide a more comprehensive picture of victimisation than Police data, as not all offending is reported or recorded. This indicator uses data collected in the New Zealand Crime and Safety Survey reports.
Criminal activity has important social and community implications. Individual personal safety and well-being are influenced by criminal activity. It is important to see where these criminal victimisation rates are the highest so that social support services for victims can be most appropriately targeted, as well as supporting the development of policy and process that seek to reduce victimisation rates in areas not otherwise reported.
- At the present time there is no victimisation data available at the Waikato regional level, but data is available at the national level from the New Zealand Crime and Safety Survey (NZCASS).
- NZCASS survey data from 2006 showed 39% of New Zealand adults aged 15 years and over experienced some form of criminal victimisation during that year. More recent 2009 survey data showed that 36% experienced some form of criminal victimisation.
- The 2009 NZCASS indicated that, overall, there has been very little change in the level and nature of crime since the 2006 survey. Where changes did occur, they were typically small and signalled a reduction in the extent and impact of crime on victims.
- A rough proxy for regional victimisation rates, the number of recorded offences in the Waikato Police District fell relative to the national trend over the period 1996 to 2004 but this trend subsequently reversed. Over the period 2004 to 2011 there was an increased frequency of recorded crimes across almost all categories for the Waikato Police District. Of concern is that the most substantial percentage increases were in violence-related categories.
NZCASS estimates of household offences in 2005 and 2008
| Household offences |
No of offences per 100 households in 2005 |
No of offences per 100 households in 2008 |
| Burglary |
21 |
21 |
| Household vandalism |
15 |
14 |
| Vehicle vandalism |
9 |
9 |
| Thefts from vehicles/ vehicle interference |
8 |
5* |
| Thefts from a dwelling |
4 |
5 |
| Other household thefts |
2 |
2 |
| Thefts of vehicles |
2 |
1* |
| All household offences |
60 |
56 |
Source: New Zealand Crime and Safety Survey 2009 Report, Table 3.4.
Notes: For household offences, offence rates (incidence rates) were derived by dividing the offence estimate by the number of households in New Zealand in 2005 (n = 1,558,299) and in 2008 (n= 1,618,600). * Indicates statistical significance at the 95% confidence level.
NZCASS estimates of personal offences in 2005 and 2008
| Personal offences |
No of offences per 100 adults in 2005 |
No of offences per 100 adults in 2008 |
| Assaults |
22 |
20 |
| Threats |
18 |
16 |
| Thefts of personal property |
4 |
5 |
| Sexual offences |
6 |
4 |
| Vandalism to personal property |
4 |
4 |
| Robbery |
1 |
2 |
| Thefts from the person |
1 |
<1 |
| All personal offences |
56 |
50 |
Source: New Zealand Crime and Safety Survey 2009 Report, Table 3.5.
Notes: For personal offences, incidence rates were derived by dividing the offence estimate by the number of people aged 15 or more in New Zealand in 2005 (n= 3,264,620) and in 2008 (n= 3,424,660). Figures in gray italics have a high relative standard error (>20%) and are not statistically reliable.
Recorded offences for Waikato Police District
Source: Statistics New Zealand/Police administrative data
Note: Waikato Police District differs from Environment Waikato region, in particular due to exclusion of South Waikato and Rotorua districts (these are within the BOP Police District).
What agencies are doing
Information currently being collated.
What you can do to help
Information currently being collated.
More information
More detail on this indicator, including how and where this information is collected, is available here.
What we want to achieve
The community outcome we are seeking to achieve by reducing criminal victimisation is:
- Our communities and government work together so that we are safe, feel safe and crime is reduced.