Crime statistics

Recorded crime is down.

Here's a couple of sub-stats.

In absolute terms there were 20,289 fewer recorded crimes in 2011 than in 2010.

In Canterbury there were 11,579 fewer crimes - that's 57 percent of the total.

David Garrett says the drop in crime is down to better policing and three strikes. He may be right that these two factors are reducing crime. But Earthquakes would have to be right up there.

In Waitemata and Counties Manukau there were 1,614 fewer crimes but in Auckland there were 4,229 more.

So I fervently hope that a downward trend is being established but would be foolish to get overly excited.