Senior Constable Deb Hann – On the Beat
In a new trend for Cambridge, we have had eight cases where people have been the subject of an immigration and employment exploitation. Individuals have paid large sums of money for packages including work visas, accommodation, and employment.
On arrival in Cambridge, they have not been paid wages for work undertaken, have been charged for accommodation and told that there is no further work. Victims are further disadvantaged due to a language barrier and their unfamiliarity with New Zealand processes and agencies.
We would like to acknowledge Cambridge Citizens Advice Bureau, Cambridge Community House and Salvation Army for their commitment to assisting all of the individuals involved.
If you know someone in this situation, they should contact Immigration New Zealand and can apply for a migrant exploitation support package to help them get back on their feet.
Over the last week an officer observed a male behaving strangely on a traffic island in town. He ran away and was not immediately located. He soon became the subject of reports of a burglary, wilful damage and suspicious behaviour in the Hautapu area.
He was located and arrested and found to be under the influence of drugs and held in custody to appear in court the next day. I’d like to send a big thank you to the public for ringing 111, your assistance was key to us locating him and being able to put a stop to his spree.
Last week staff also attended a report of disorder outside a local pub. An aggressive male was located and found to be breaching multiple bail conditions. He was arrested and held in custody to go back before the courts accordingly.
In any given week, Cambridge Police deal with a large number and variety of calls for service. In the week prior to October 27, incidents we dealt with included reports of wilful damage, fraud, thefts, vehicle theft and interference, burglaries, breaches of protection order, vehicle crashes, incidents of threatening behaviour, family harm incidents and assault, drunk driving and bail breaches.
Lastly, this week we have been approached regarding a road safety matter. As you will be aware there are works underway on Hamilton Road while the cycleway is further developed. There is a 30kph temporary speed limit in place to ensure the safety of all involved. We have nevertheless received reports that many drivers are ignoring the limit, speeding and putting the safety of road workers at risk. A temporary speed limit is put in place for a reason. Please slow down whenever temporary limits are in place. We do not want an injury to occur.
