Police now follow Crime Prevention-focused Strategy.
We want to work in partnership with communities to prevent crime and road trauma, enhance public safety and maintain public order.
We achieved 8% reduction in crime last year compared to 2011, which is great.
Recently, a story hit the headlines about an out-of-control party in Howick (East Auckland), at which a young girl was injured.
This incident has now been referred to the Independent Police Conduct Authority.
We did not invite ourselves to that party but were called by a member of the public who was concerned and distressed about the behaviour they were witnessing.
The witness described underage drinking, anti-social behaviour that was putting others in danger and told the Police that they felt unsafe.
We responded to that call for service, because that is our job. We work to make our community safe and your safety is our prime concern.
New process
We want to prevent these situations from happening. We do not want to stop people having fun but want to ensure safety.
Our officers in the Counties Manukau East area (Howick, Pakuranga, Otara, Botany, Beachlands) are currently experimenting a new process.
You can call the Police and let us know if you are having a party.
We need to know how many people are expected, their age range, the date and time, and the name and contact details of the host.
We will try to visit the party over the night and make sure that there is no trouble for people to get to their homes safely after the party ends.
We hope to roll this initiative throughout Manukau by April 2013.
‘Pay’ Parade
The Counties Manukau District ‘Pay Parade’ will be held on March 1, reminiscent of the days when police officers would march together before their chiefs to receive their monthly salaries by cash.
This year, the march past will be held from the Manukau Police Station to Rainbows End, beginning at 11 am. It would be spectacular.
Vehicle theft
Over the past few months, we have witnessed an increasing number of reports of vehicles being broken into and vehicles stolen.
Our officers continue to be proactive and patrol areas that are targeted. We want to prevent crime and need your help.
Please remember to (a) Remove all valuables from your vehicle (b) Lock your vehicle (c) Ensure your vehicle has an alarm (d) Use a steering lock and (e) If you cannot park your car off the road, make sure to park in a well-lit area.
Increasing burglaries
Our current focus is on burglary. If you have been a victim, you would understand how distressing it could be. We have squads in every area called ‘Tactical Crime Unit’ and according to the data gathered, most offenders are young people.
With the reopening of schools, we hope to see a decrease in this type of offending.
If you want to help Police you should (a) Call us when you notice youngsters absent from school (b) Lock your property when you are not at home (c) Activate your alarm (d) Notify your neighbours if you are planning to be away for a long time (e) Avoid leaving signs that you are away and (f) If possible, have someone to look after your property
You can report crime to the Police on 111 or to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800- 555111. Please visit www.snap.org.nz and make sure that you record serial numbers of items owned by you.
John Tims is Superintendent and District Commander of Counties Manukau Police.
