Is there an increase or isn't there?

New Zealand's latest crime statistics were released this week, showing an improvement in Police resolution of crime, but an increase in the amount of reported family violence.
The news release from the Police highlights that "New Zealand has had the lowest murder rate for a decade" and that they also "resolved 9,539 more offences in 2007 than the previous year." Although there were "fewer offences of homicide (7 percent fewer) and kidnapping (2 percent fewer)," the violence category overall rose by 12.3 percent. This "increase in the violence category was driven almost entirely by recorded family violence," which increased by 35 percent.
This, according to the release, "is not surprising" given the "huge focus on family violence" in the media, potentially distorting the statistics by increasing the amount of family violence reported and not necessarily the amount committed.