Selwyn MP, Nicola Grigg, has teamed up with Mayor Sam Broughton and Canterbury Police Inspector Peter Cooper to ensure Selwyn keeps its title as the safest District in New Zealand.

Selwyn was announced as the safest place to live in November following a report by data analysts Dot Loves Data. The report said that Selwyn has the lowest per capita static crime rate of any area in New Zealand at 12.68. This equates to less than 13 crimes committed in Selwyn per 10,000 people per month.

“It’s great to be top of the list but we can’t afford to be complacent, keeping our people safe is our number one priority. By working together we can capitalise on our current low crime rate and keep it that way”, Ms Grigg says.

The trio met to share feedback from the community about crime in the district and to review trends and latest statistics. Overall the numbers showed that Selwyn was still enjoying a low level of crime, however Inspector Peter Cooper was keen to support Nicola Grigg’s call for continued vigilance. 

“Crime prevention in all areas is most effective when it involves a partnership between people, police, local authorities & local organisations.  In Selwyn we are very lucky to have a very strong Community Patrol, they are always on the lookout for more people to become involved in their patrol groups”.

“We can reduce risk by taking notice of who is out and about and talking to them, locking your house, removing keys, closing access gates and keeping an eye on each other’s property. Remove all items from your vehicles especially the garage remote. Secure trailers, boats and jet skis out of sight. Look out for elderly neighbours and report anything that looks and feels suspicious”.

Mayor Sam Broughton says the strength of our communities contributes to the low crime rate.

“The people of Selwyn have each other’s back, we are proud of our district and crime has no place in our communities”.

Mayor Sam was also keen to emphasise the importance of maintaining the momentum.

“By combining our efforts, sharing our understanding and collaborating on this, as we’ll as other issues, we can serve the people of Selwyn in the best possible way.”