Police Snippets

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Illegal entry
A sunny Labour Weekend drew large crowds to Mangawhai resulting in busy streets, shops and leisure areas, however Sen Con Gough says he was ‘pleasantly surprised and very pleased’ that no disorder was reported.

“People just seemed to be having fun, kids playing in water, families enjoying the good weather, the way it should be.”

However on October 21, the night before the long weekend, two occupants of a house in Findlay Street were woken around 11pm by footsteps coming from an upstairs room. An unknown person or persons had gained entry to the house after discovering the location of the hidden outdoor key.

“The occupants saw the lights of their black Holden Commodore flickering as someone tried to gain access to the car but were frightened off by the occupants,” Gough says. “The keys and a wallet have still not been recovered which is a concern.”

Still speeding
Police still have ongoing gripes with the number of drivers speeding around Mangawhai, in particular Molesworth Drive. On October 31, nine tickets were issued in just over an hour to people driving over the 50km limit outside the activity zone.

Wood Street’s stop sign also receives a lot of complaints as drivers perpetually translate the sign as ‘Give Way’ and Gough says they are aware of contractors working in Mangawhai ‘speeding way too much’ on the local roads.

“We’re taking a hardline on this, we’re not softening up at all so don’t put us in a position where we have to ticket you.”

Lost property
Police say there has been a drop in lost and found property being handed in to Mangawhai station, possibly due to the office not always being manned like it used to be with volunteers Gough says.

“However if you have lost or found any items, please ring the station still to report it in. Dale or I then can organise a time to collect items.”

Suspicious behaviour
In early October a female was alleged to be seen cutting and pouring Roundup into pohutukawa trees along a walking track on Wharfdale Street. A resident approached the woman who denied she was poisoning the trees and left the scene. The resident washed the trees out and they appear to be recovering.

Unfortunately tree poisoning is common in Mangawhai, ‘a cowardly act’ Gough says and hard to prove.

“It seems to benefit only one or two people who are wanting to gain a view,” he says. “Best option is to talk to your neighbours, keep the lines of communication open. Also when planting trees, keep in mind your neighbours, consider how the growth of your trees may affect others… don’t be the cause of a problem later on.”

- REPORTING/Julia Wade
 

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