Pongakawa

Western Bay of Plenty District•Bay of Plenty Region
Last updated:

Safety Score (12-month average)

55

–

Crime rate

25.3 per 1,000

Population 3,243

Total crimes (past 12 months)

82

Trend (last 3 months)

▼ 56.0%

vs previous 3-month period

Regional rank

#96 / 157

Bottom 39%

Safety Score (NZCHI)

Updated September 2026

Pongakawa Overview

Crime Count
No data
0
20
50
100
Assault
Sexual offences
Robbery, blackmail, and extortion
Burglary
Theft

Most common offences by count were theft (56.1%), burglary (30.5%), and assault (8.5%). Percentages show share of offence counts in the selected time frame.

Crime Summary

The annual total crime rate in Pongakawa is 25.2852 crimes per thousand residents, placing it at rank 96 within Bay of Plenty Region. The overall crime trend in the area has decreased in recent months with criminal activity peaking in Nov 2025, Dec 2025, Feb 2026.

Explore crime in nearby locations

Crime activity peaked in November 2025, December 2025, and February 2026.

Pongakawa crime statistics: common questions

Is Pongakawa safe?

Pongakawa recorded 82 offences in the last 12 months, a rate of 25.3 per 1,000 residents across about 3,243 residents. These are offences recorded by New Zealand Police, which reflect what was reported and recorded rather than all crime that occurred.

What is the crime rate in Pongakawa?

The crime rate in Pongakawa is 25.3 offences per 1,000 residents over the last 12 months, from 82 recorded offences across about 3,243 residents. A rate counts offences against a suburb's resident population, so town centres and commercial areas can show high rates because offences there involve people who do not live there.

What is the most common crime in Pongakawa?

The most common offence category in Pongakawa is theft, with 46 recorded offences in the last 12 months — about 56% of all offences recorded there. The next most common is burglary (25).

Is crime going up or down in Pongakawa?

Recorded offences in Pongakawa have fallen 56.0% over the most recent three-month period compared with the previous three months. This is a three-month comparison, not a year-on-year one, and short windows move around a lot in small areas.

How does Pongakawa compare with other suburbs in Bay of Plenty Region?

Pongakawa ranks 96 of 157 suburbs in Bay of Plenty Region by crime rate, where 1 is the highest rate. This is a ranking of recorded crime, not a safety rating, and it compares Pongakawa only with other suburbs in Bay of Plenty Region — not with the rest of New Zealand.

Where does the crime data for Pongakawa come from?

Figures for Pongakawa, Western Bay of Plenty District come from New Zealand Police recorded victimisation data, published through police.govt.nz, and are grouped to Stats NZ Statistical Area 2 (SA2) boundaries. They count offences recorded by Police, so they reflect reporting and recording practice as well as underlying offending.

Looking for a plain-English safety summary?

👉 See how safe Pongakawa is on SafeSuburbs.co.nz