Top brass urged to step up efforts amid crime spike
Canterbury appears to be underserved by the police, new figures show, as suburbs in Christchurch battle spiralling crime.
With about 650,000 residents, Canterbury makes up about 13% of New Zealand’s population.
But the region is only home to 987 sworn officers, about 9% of the New Zealand police force. National roles, such as those in the police prosecution team, are not counted in the district numbers.
It comes as some people in Christchurch are demanding an increased police presence following a massive spike in crime in their suburb.
Thefts and burglaries in Hornby are up by more than 80% in the past year, and tired residents are calling on the region’s top officers to step in.
Residents in Hornby are petitioning the police to have their police station manned 24 hours a day following a major spike in theft and burglary.
The petition, which on Monday night was just shy of 1000 signatures, will be presented to Canterbury Metro Superintendent Lane Todd on Tuesday night at a community meeting to discuss rising levels of crime.
Read the full story from reporter Shannon Redstall here (subscription required).
Poll: Are Kiwis allergic to “exuberance”? 🥝
In The Post’s opinion piece on the developments set to open across Aotearoa in 2026, John Coop suggests that, as a nation, we’re “allergic to exuberance.”
We want to know: Are we really allergic to showing our excitement?
Is it time to lean into a more optimistic view of the place we call home? As big projects take shape and new opportunities emerge, perhaps it’s worth asking whether a little more confidence (and enthusiasm!) could do us some good.
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41.1% Yes
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32.8% Maybe?
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26.1% No
2025 has been massive. The Luxon-led Government's attacks on workers, on Te Tiriti, on pay equity, on educators, on health workers, and on the public service, have been relentless.
But despite everything thrown at working people, we've also seen some massive wins. We've fought back together with strike action. We've unified with days of action. We have focused on what matters. Make no mistake, 2026 will be wild, and we are ready for it! Source - New Zealand Council of Trade Unions
Brain Teaser of the Day 🧠✨ Can You Solve It? 🤔💬
How many balls of string does it take to reach the moon?
(Peter from Carterton kindly provided this head-scratcher ... thanks, Peter!)
Do you think you know the answer? Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm on the day!
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