Have to agree with Diny that lots of people seem to feel duty bound to protect poor wee NZ against all the naysayers who threaten its pristine reputation!
Crime is a funny one because it's as much perception as reality. Here in Rotovegas, police statistics show that levels of crime are falling...but with the media jumping on every tourist mugging that happens and splatting it across the front page, no-one believes the police stats and perceives there to be a real crime problem. Hence to dodgy reputation of Rotovegas. Also it's a small country with a small population - crime makes the news regularly for lack of anything else to report!