Rural crime matters
Police can and will respond to rural crime.
Keep in mind police may need to travel long distances to get to you.
• Call 111 — Crime in progress, life or property threatened, serious risk, offender still present.
• Use 105 — If it has already happened or you do not need urgent police assistance.
• 0800 555-111 — Call Crime Stoppers to report a crime anonymously.
You can report a crime at your local police station by speaking to the person at the front counter, who will inform you of what to do next.
Contact your local council to obtain your Rural Address Property Identification (Rapid) number, which identifies your property and will help ensure services reach you as fast as possible in the event of an emergency.
If you can’t decide if it’s a real emergency and you’re still worried, call 111 and ask for help.
Report all instances of crime
Report all crimes — even when a police response is not necessary.
Police need to know the pattern of crime in an area. You can help police by reporting all instances of suspicious behaviour or crime.
If is looks dodgy, it probably is dodgy. No matter how minor, the police want to know.
Rural crime advice
• Keep track
Clearly tag animals. Keep accurate stock and produce records.
You should have a detailed inventory of all personal valuables and household and business equipment, including model and serial numbers, inscriptions and other identifying features.
TOP TIP: Engrave tools and equipment with your driver’s licence number to make it easier for police to identify and return any goods that may be found later.
• Home security
Effective security measures are the greatest deterrent to burglary and theft on your property. You can make your house a hard target to thieves by following the security tips below:
— Always close and lock all windows and doors even if you’re still on the property.
— Window stays, patio bolts and deadbolts on doors make it harder to pry them open.
— Wireless, easy-to-install outdoor security cameras are now widely available, making them a good option to deter and detect potential offenders.
— Install motion sensor security lighting around your property. There are outdoor solar-powered security lights you can install yourself.
— Do not hide spare keys in mailboxes, under doormats, above doorways or anywhere visible from the entrance. These are the first places that offenders will look.
— If you have an alarm, make sure it is regularly serviced to prevent false alarms and set when leaving the house/outbuilding(s) unattended, even if someone will be on the wider property!
• Secure rural outbuildings and perimeter
— Lock all buildings where valuable and/or potentially hazardous items are stored.
— Check external windows and doors to buildings are maintained and fitted with high-quality locks.
— Install locking devices on fuel tanks to restrict tampering and theft.
— Regularly check the condition and security of boundary fences and gates.
— Close access gates, particularly to your house and outbuildings, and keep locked where practical.
— Trim trees and bushes around buildings to reduce the opportunity for offenders to hide and give neighbours/passers-by a clear line of sight.
— Do not leave vehicles, tools or equipment unattended in boundary paddocks for opportunist thieves.
• Reduce risk
Reduce risk by taking notice of who is out and about and talking to them (particularly if they are not locals), locking your house, removing keys, closing access gates (particularly to your driveway/house) and keeping an eye on each other’s property.
• Be organised, discuss and prepare
Rural New Zealand has a reputation for tight-knit, supportive communities. You can help to keep safe by knowing your neighbours, exchanging contact phone numbers and keeping those numbers handy. Discuss what you could do to alert or assist each other in an emergency. It is also a good idea to let neighbours know if you are going on holiday or leaving your home overnight. — New Zealand Police
