Otatara

Invercargill CitySouthland Region
Last updated:

Safety Score (12-month average)

89

Crime rate

5.6 per 1,000

Population 3,408

Total crimes (past 12 months)

19

Trend (last 3 months)

▼ 16.7%

vs previous 3-month period

Regional rank

#54 / 64

Bottom 16%

Safety Score (NZCHI)

Updated August 2026

Otatara Overview

Crime Count
No data
0
20
50
100
Assault
Sexual offences
Burglary
Theft

Most common offences by count were burglary (50.0%), theft (25.0%), and assault (15.0%). Percentages show share of offence counts in the selected time frame.

Crime Summary

The annual total crime rate in Otatara is 5.5751 crimes per thousand residents, placing it at rank 54 within Southland Region. The overall crime trend in the area has decreased in recent months with criminal activity peaking in Dec 2025, Mar 2026, May 2026.

Crime activity peaked in December 2025, March 2026, and May 2026.

Otatara crime statistics: common questions

Is Otatara safe?

Otatara recorded 19 offences in the last 12 months, a rate of 5.6 per 1,000 residents across about 3,408 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 Otatara?

The crime rate in Otatara is 5.6 offences per 1,000 residents over the last 12 months, from 19 recorded offences across about 3,408 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 Otatara?

The most common offence category in Otatara is burglary, with 9 recorded offences in the last 12 months — about 47% of all offences recorded there. The next most common is theft (5).

Is crime going up or down in Otatara?

Recorded offences in Otatara have fallen 16.7% 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 Otatara compare with other suburbs in Southland Region?

Otatara ranks 54 of 64 suburbs in Southland Region by crime rate, where 1 is the highest rate. This is a ranking of recorded crime, not a safety rating, and it compares Otatara only with other suburbs in Southland Region — not with the rest of New Zealand.

Where does the crime data for Otatara come from?

Figures for Otatara, Invercargill City 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 Otatara is on SafeSuburbs.co.nz