Otaki TodayŌtaki police remain three officers short of their allocation, currently with one sergeant, four constables and one non-sworn staff member.
It should have a sergeant and seven constables, along with the non-sworn staff member.
Sergeant Simon Middleton says recruiting staff to smaller rural stations like Ōtaki remains difficult, with officers often preferring to work in larger centres or areas with which they are familiar. Unlike the military, they are not assigned to certain areas, and as part of the police retention and recruitment strategy, officers can choose where they want to work.
Businesses are being urged to upgrade their CCTV cameras to provide better quality images so police have a better chance of identifying offenders.
“When a vacancy is advertised, someone has to actually apply for it and want to come here,” Simon says. “People often want to work where they grew up or where they have connections.”
Residents who have family or friends in the police elsewhere are being encouraged to talk to them about moving to the area.
The staffing shortfall means police have to prioritise officer safety, particularly when responding to incidents that require paired patrols.
“In an ideal world you’d have three pairs of officers working across shifts. Right now, we’re effectively running with two pairs and a gap. Rather than spreading ourselves too thin, we accept that gap.”
When Ōtaki police are unavailable, calls are assessed by Levin or Foxton officers as part of the wider Horowhenua policing area, which also remains under-strength. Levin and Ōtaki combined are estimated to be about 15 officers below allocation.
Despite the challenges, Simon says urgent incidents are prioritised, and lower-level matters dealt with when staff become available.
Meanwhile, police are also dealing with a recent spike in burglaries, with Riverbank Road identified as a particular hotspot.
“That area is being targeted,” Simon says. “There are always going to be sporadic burglaries, but this is different. There’s a clear pattern there.”
He spoke about the spate of burglaries at a recent Ōtaki-Te Horo Business Association meeting, where he emphasised the need for basic security.
He says most businesses have CCTV, but often the image quality – especially at night – is so poor it has no real use for identifying offenders.
“The better the camera resolution the better the image.”
But CCTV alone doesn’t prevent crime and he urges businesses to consider alarms, strong lighting and physical security measures.
“A camera records what happens, but it doesn’t stop someone,” he says. “An audible alarm, motion sensors and good lighting make places uncomfortable for offenders and are far more effective as deterrents.”
Police are also reminding residents and businesses to take simple precautions, such as locking vehicles, removing keys, securing containers properly and not leaving equipment accessible.
“It sounds basic, but we still come across unlocked vehicles with keys inside.”
Family violence continues to consume a significant amount of police time and resources across the Horowhenua policing area, further limiting capacity to respond to other crime.
“That reduces what we can put into things like burglary investigations.”
Police are also warning the community about online marketplace scams and urging people not to transfer money for items they have not seen in person.
“If it’s too good to be true, it usually is,” Simon says.
Ōtaki residents are encouraged to report all crime – emergencies by phoning 111, and non-urgent to 105 or online. Anonymous information can be provided through Crime Stoppers.
“Even low-level offending should be reported. It all helps build the bigger picture.”
OTHER STORIES
... loading ...
