Following on from last week, thanks to those who attended the recruiting seminar last Wednesday. It was great to see the interest.
I also want to thank the residents of Roto-o-Rangi who attended the community event last Thursday evening and to our partners Neighbourhood Support, Fire and Emergency New Zealand, Cambridge Community Patrol, Civil Defence, Rural Support and Farmgate, plus Westpac for the sausage sizzle. It was a good opportunity for all to catch up and discuss local issues.
Deb Hann – Senior Constable at the Cambridge Farmers’ Market. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
In other news, the team arrested five people who had warrants issued for their arrest.
Last Thursday Police received multiple calls about a male seen brandishing what appeared to be a pistol, pointing it at students near Cambridge High school ground. We responded swiftly and found a youth armed with a BB gun. An armed approach was made during which the youth briefly pointed the BB gun at police, before discarding it. He was arrested and due to his age, is being dealt with through the Youth Aid process.
While not a pistol, BB guns often look indistinguishable from firearms, especially to the public. BB guns are classified as airguns under the Arms Act 1983. Anyone aged 18 or older can possess and use an airgun. Anyone under 18 years of age may use an airgun if they hold a New Zealand Firearms Licence or they are under the “immediate supervision” of a firearms licence holder or a person aged 18 or older. BB guns are not to be carried or brandished in public and pointing one at the public or police can have grave consequences. The youth not only caused alarm to those within sight, but also put himself in great danger.
While working last Saturday morning, my colleagues and I encountered a white trail bike (with red tank) that failed to stop for Police and was ridden dangerously through town, in and around traffic, putting the rider and others at risk. If you have any information on the perpetrators of this or similar trail bike offending, please get in touch. Crime prevention is a joint process between police and our community. We cannot be everywhere at once, so need your eyes and ears. Community intelligence is important. Anyone with footage or knowledge should get in touch via 105.police.govt.nz or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Scams continue to feature in our area. A prominent one is a text message telling the victim that they need to pay overdue road tolls and providing a link to do so. A check of the website address shows it is not legitimate. Be cautious when receiving any such text messages. Do not click on the link or enter private details into any random website. If in any doubt, navigate separately to the organisation’s website directly through a browser. Please continue to be vigilant and let’s try to avoid the avoidable scams.
One final message, with the darker mornings and evenings, I have been asked to remind our community about safety when walking. If you are walking your dog or taking exercise in the dark, please wear a fluorescent jacket or item to make you visible to passing traffic, particularly in areas such as Lamb Street where there isn’t hard kerbing. Have a great week.
