Police pop up to talk shop

 

Armed with an array of equipment a swarm of police and associates formed a thin blue line in front of local shops recently, lying in wait to talk to passing shoppers including children. 

Far from a serious police operation though, officers, Mangawhai Community Patrol (MCP) and Rodney Neighbourhood Watch (RNW) took advantage of the school holidays ensuring more families were around and set up a base camp aka ‘Pop-up Police Shop’ at Mangawhai Heads Wood Street shopping center, on July 17. The purpose, Wellsford Station Support Officer Lindy Lawn says, is to engage the public in a friendly manner and hand out relevant information. 

“The idea of the pop-up is to be seen and connect with the community so people feel comfortable to approach us,” she says. “We’re also promoting awareness of the new non-emergency ‘105’ number, which is to report things that have already happened that don’t need urgent police assistance.”

Free pens, stickers, colouring–in activities and the chance to wear a police hat drew the interest for younger visitors, while officers and MCP members talked to adults and handed out a range of information on the many ways local officers can assist the community, including prevention of rural crime and burglary prevention packs. 

As well as Mangawhai police, new Wellsford officer Sergeant Rainier Coetzee, and Sergeant Mark Stallworthy formed part of the crew, who is one of the 25 officers from Warkworth who regularly patrol Mangawhai streets ‘in the dark hours’. 

RNW coordinator Margaret Faed, who represents a wide area for the organisation from the west coastline of Bethells Beach to Whangaparoa Peninsula and as far North as Mangawhai, also joined the group ‘to spread the word’ about the Watch and pique peoples interest enough in the hope they will sign up. Faed says she had some success, with four people registering within one hour. 

“Neighbourhood Watch is about neighbours looking after neighbours,” she says. “Not just in regards to looking out for potential criminal behaviour but for other emergencies as well including just knowing who lives on your street.” 

MCP coordinator Wayne Price would like to say a big thank you to GAS Mangawhai for their generous petrol donation, which ‘goes a long way’ to keep the patrol on the road. 

Rodney and Mangawhai’s combined policing team for crime prevention and community support, from left, Warkworth Sergeant Mark Stallworthy, multi-tasker Police Support Officer Lindy Lawn, Constable Dale Wewege, MCP’s Phil Elrick and Wayne Price, Sergeant Rainier Coetzee and RNW coordinator Margaret Faed. 

“The idea of the pop-up is to be seen and connect with the community so people feel comfortable to approach us,