Police quiet on burglary policy

Target reduced since last August

POLICE are keeping tightlipped about when changes to a policy to attend home burglaries within 24 hours were scrapped and why it is no longer possible to attend all breakins ‘‘within a reasonable timeframe’’.

Last year, the police outlined their intention to attend ‘‘all house breakins . . . within a reasonable timeframe’’.

In the past, police policy dictated burglaries should be attended within 10 hours. That timeframe was extended to 24 hours and more recently, under the present Government, it was accepted police would attend when they could.

However, within the Government’s Safer Communities package, announced this week, the Government reinstated a timeframe of attending burglaries — now, within 48 hours — and revised the target from ‘‘all breakins’’ to ‘‘98% of home burglaries’’.

When questioned by the Otago Daily Times yesterday about why police had changed their expectations in relation to burglaries, neither police nor the Government addressed the matter.

A spokesman for Police Minister Paula Bennett said police were better placed to address the questions. Police Commissioner Mike Bush did not address the changes to police policy in an emailed response to ODT questions.

‘‘Last year in August, I outlined my expectation for police to attend 100% of dwelling burglaries,’’ the response said.

‘‘Our new target is that we will attend 98% of burglaries within 48 hours, and we will be working hard to achieve this.

‘‘We are still monitoring the impact after I announced my expectation in August, however, the indications are positive at this stage.’’

In November last year, thenpolice minister Judith Collins, told NZME a review on the impact of the policy introduced in August was due shortly.

When questioned yesterday about whether the review was completed, police simply responded: ‘‘No.’’

Mr Bush confirmed burglaries remained a ‘‘priority offence’’ but would not address when police scrapped their policy — either formal or informal — to attend burglaries in a shorter timeframe.

The ODT was told the commissioner’s response was final and no further information would be provided.

Information provided with Ms Bennett’s announcement on the Safer Communities package showed police attended 86% within 48 hours at present.

Statistics uncovered by the ODT showed police attended a similar percentage of burglaries within 24 hours in 2002, under a Labour government, when police policy was to attend 97% of burglaries within 24 hours.

timothy.brown@odt.co.nz