Spike in crime wrong – police

A burglary a night is occurring in Morrinsville according to the Waikato town’s local social media pages which are filled with stories of criminal activity.

But police say any claims of a spike in crime are just plain wrong. The Piako Post has received a number of calls about a perceived increase in criminal activity including burglaries and vandalism with some saying an offence is committed every night.

Posts on social media pages include claims of cats being shot and people having their windscreens smashed. But Eastern Waikato prevention area manager Senior Sergeant Andrea McBeth said such posts on social media were not helpful and they were contributing to scaremongering in the town. In fact, a recent check on offences in the Morrinsville area show no spike in criminal activity in the region.

‘‘Burglaries are not happening every night, there are approximately 16 per month at present which is not an increase and these are usually daytime burglaries,’’ she said.

‘‘We are concerned about any dishonesty offending, so whilst not a ‘spike’ we actively police to reduce burglaries. We do not have any report of a cat being shot or of night workers having windscreens smashed, however these incidents might not have reported this to police or within the past month.’’

McBeth said social media had its advantages with Waikato Police using it effectively to keep communities informed. But it could also create a flow-on effect when reporting crime incidents.

In terms of other areas across the Eastern Waikato, Morrinsville did not stand out as having more crime, McBeth said.

‘‘I receive regular updates from our intelligence section and look at crime trends and, while police are busy and active in the Morrinsville community, there does not appear to be a crime spike at present,’’ she said

Some townsfolk have suggested reinstating a weekly police report in the local newspaper, the Piako Post, to act as some form of deterrent for criminals.