Police Minister Judith Collins has welcomed latest crime statistics because total recorded offences dropped 5.8 percent over the last year.

And now, according to our cartoonist, Don Brash has come up with a new brainwave to help criminals languishing behind bars part of his master-plan to make marijuana legal throughout society.

Ms Collins, however, has no time for the Brash plan — especially in the light of reports the ban on smoking in prisons has not resulted in widespread prisoner discontent.

And out in society, the latest crime statistics show there were just 34 murders in the year to June, down from 65 the year before, which was the lowest number in 25 years.