Palmerston North police meet The Plaza customers at mall cops event

Police pup Blitz and Constable James Houston had a great time meeting the community at the mall cops event in The Plaza.

Palmerston North police officers became mall cops with an interactive display and the opportunity to talk to shoppers at The Plaza in Palmerston North.

Staff from prevention, youth, community and burglary prevention workgroups, along with Palmerston North Community Patrol and Neighbourhood Support, ran a display for the community on June 24.

Acting Senior Sergeant William Sheehan approached The Plaza management with the mall cops event idea.

“There have been some issues with youth offending and behaviour in the CBD and the team and I have met with retailers to hear them out, provide support, and work together on potential solutions,” Sheehan says.

“When I approached The Plaza team with the idea to run an event in the mall with the aim of connecting with our community, they jumped at the opportunity.

“We want to ensure people feel safe when they are out and about and, to be successful with this, we need to work together with local businesses and our partners.”

Shoppers got a surprise when they saw the display, which included a police vehicle, the recruit jump test and the popular virtual-reality goggles.

No display is complete without a police dog. Puppy Blitz was hands down the most popular member of the team.

Crowds formed throughout the day around the display and Sheehan says he and the team easily spoke to hundreds of people.

“We received really positive feedback and interacted with members of the public of all ages,” he says.

“Staff also took the opportunity to speak with the various businesses in The Plaza to discuss what police were doing to support them in the CBD.

“One of the store managers was ecstatic that we were there as he had no thefts that day when, on any other Saturday, he has experienced several.

“It’s fantastic to have this feedback from retailers and we really want to run another display and, hopefully, make it a regular event.”