SPEED USE, MURDER ON INCREASE

Crimes linked to methamphetamines ("speed") jumped 28 per cent last year.

Non-cannabis-related drug crimes - such as those involving amphetamine-type
stimulants - rose to 2841 from 2212 the year before.

Police Commissioner Rob Robinson said the increase was mainly due to a rise
in methamphetamine production and distribution, and the stepped-up police
hunt for clandestine laboratories.

Police put 147 methamphetamine labs out of business last year.

Cannabis-only offences fell 7.5 per cent.

The statistics show recorded crime rose 3.2 per cent nationally last year,
but murders increased 24.5 per cent.

The 66 killings compared with 53 in 2001. Mr Robinson said police could
find no obvious explanation for the rise.

"There is not one thing we can put our hand on."

However, some cases before the courts indicated a link to the wider use of
methamphetamine.

Kidnapping and abduction offences increased 31.2 per cent last year. The
211 recorded cases compared with 161 the year before.

In the category of violence - which includes murder, abduction and assaults
- - there was a 2.1 per cent rise, compared with 5.9 per cent in 2001.

More sexual offences were also reported, up 12.8 per cent.

Mr Robinson said the increase might be partly due to more awareness of
sexual abuse and more sample matches on the DNA database, leading to the
identification of offenders.

Police solved 5458 more cases last year.

Mr Robinson said that when recorded crime was adjusted for population
increase, it showed a trend downwards.

The level of offending per 10,000 population has dropped from 1274 in 1996
to 1112 last year.

"Despite an increase in the number of recorded offences, it is very
pleasing to note the level of resolved crime has kept pace, and this
against the steady increase in population," he said.

For individual police districts, Counties/Manukau had the biggest increase
in recorded crime, up 8.3 per cent.

This was followed by the Southern district with a rise of 7.1 per cent and
Northland with 6 per cent.

Reported crime was below the national average increase in Wellington and
Canterbury. The Central and Bay of Plenty districts were the only ones with
less crime.

Mr Robinson said police staffing rose 2.3 per cent last year, to 7208.

Crime Figures * Overall crime up 3.2 per cent last year * Offending per
10,000 population drops from 1274 in 1996 to 1112 last year * Murder up
24.5 per cent last year compared with 2001

* Abduction/kidnapping rose 31.1 per cent * Drugs (non-cannabis) up 28.4
per cent * Drugs (cannabis) down 7.5 per cent * Sexual attacks up 16.9 per
cent * Burglary up 0.1 per cent * Drink-driving offences down 6.6 per cent