Crime and crash reduction in Tasman Police District

Tasman Police District is located in the South Island of New Zealand and extends from Haast on the West Coast, north to Farewell Spit and south on the East Coast to Kaikoura.

The District has 280 sworn police staff with 3 sub Areas (Marlborough, Nelson Bays and West Coast), 7,512 kilometres of State Highway and is geographically one of the largest police districts in New Zealand.

The District population in 2003 was 165,000, predicted to increase to 168,200 by 2006 (Statistics NZ 2004).

During the tourist season the population almost doubles, particularly in the popular beach and camping areas. (In Golden Bay alone it increases by about 30,000).

The tourist season generally runs from December through to March but is increasing year by year bringing with it increased traffic and crash issues and an increase in crime.

This presentation explores previous poor performance in a police District where verbal warnings issued to motorists was the norm rather than the exception.

The presentation also looks briefly at crime statistics, and although Tasman District is regarded nationally as having a low crime rate there is the established correlation between criminal offending and traffic offending.