Justice meets two Better Public Services targets


Tue 22 Jul 2014

The Government has released July quarterly updates for its Better Public Services targets. Justice Minister Judith Collins announced that the ...

The Government has released July quarterly updates for its Better Public Services targets.

Justice Minister Judith Collins announced that the Justice sector has reached and surpassed two of its four Better Public Services targets (recorded total crime and youth crime), three years ahead of schedule.

The reamining two targets are the most relevant to family violence: recorded violent crime (down 11%, target 20% by 2017) and reoffending (down 12.2%, target 25% by 2017).

Judith Collins says although crime and reoffending rates are trending downwards, the Sector must maintain its focus on reducing crime and reoffending and better supporting victims.

"Our progress to date allows the Sector to renew its focus on protecting those who are most vulnerable – particularly women and children – from abuse."

In the social sector, the number of cases of physical abuse substantiated by Child, Youth and Family dropped slightly, however would need decline more steeply to achieve the target to reduce physical assaults on children by 5% by June 2017.

Further information is available on the State Services Commission website.

For comment on the use of administrative data in measuring trends in family violence over time, see:

Gulliver, P., & Fanslow, J. (2013). Family violence indicators: Can administrative data sets be used to measure trends in family violence in New Zealand? Wellington: SuPERU

and

Gulliver, P., Fanslow, J. (2012). Measurement of family violence at a population level: What might be needed to develop reliable and valid family violence indicators? Auckland, New Zealand: New Zealand Family Violence Clearinghouse, The University of Auckland.

For background information, see previous NZFVC news stories on BPS.

Media:

10. Better Public Services Targets - Reduction in Crime, Press release: Hansard, 23.07.2014

Govt lags on some targets, New Zealand Herald, 22.07.2014‎

Govt failing to meet many key targets, Stuff, 22.07.2014‎

Government's child abuse target in doubt, Stuff, ‎21.07.2014

Good progress on better public service targets, Beehive: Bill English and Jonathan Coleman, 21.07.2014

Continued collaboration delivers top results, Beehive: Judith Collins, 21.07.2014

Social sector makes gains on BPS targets, Beehive: Paula Bennett, 21.07.2014

Image: iStock