'It is a concern' - more Kiwi women committing crimes and in custody

Commissioner Mike Bush said some of the crimes "could be driven out of wanting a few minutes of fame".

More women are committing crimes and police say social media is partly driving that.

Police Commissioner Mike Bush appeared before a parliamentary select committee today to brief MPs on the last year of policing.

"It is a concern... that there are more women represented. That's also reflected in the prison population. The number of women in custody has increased, I would really be keen to understand what's behind that one."

Commissioner Bush revealed police have noticed a trend where more young women are committing crime. He said no work had been done on why that's happening, but he thinks social media is partly to blame, as they seek notoriety.

He told 1 NEWS the rise "could be driven out of wanting a few minutes of fame". 

A number of women post videos to Facebook soon after committing crimes to get their few seconds of fame, he told reporters.

The exact numbers are not known but he said the Corrections department had also noticed the trend and were having to find more beds for women.

He said police were working towards finding out more about the drivers of that.

Commissioner Bush also told MPs 40 per cent of returning offenders deported from Australia had reoffended here. He said police were keeping a "very close eye" on them and every single one was contacted by police on their arrival in the country. 

He said police were looking at why people were committing crime and trying to work with people to stop them offending. 

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