Does Papamoa need a higher police presence?

Joy Douch is concerned about crime in Papamoa. Photo/Samantha Motion

A Papamoa resident is calling for an increased police presence in the fast-growing suburb - especially at night.

However, a local Neighbourhood Support co-ordinator says more police are needed everywhere and Papamoa is not a special case, while the local sergeant says night-time police coverage has improved this year.

On the morning of Guy Fawkes Day Papamoa resident Joy Douch was walking on the beach when she came across a sight that left her "stunned".

A 9kg LPG bottle was sitting in the middle of the still-warm remains of a bonfire, surrounded by beer bottles and used fireworks. The thought of what could have happened was horrible, she said.

"I rang the police but it was the next morning so what can they do?"

It solidified a thought growing in her mind for months: Papamoa needed a bigger police presence.

She did not think the local station's opening hours of 8am to 4pm were sufficient, and nor was having coverage from Tauranga.

"Things can escalate so quickly," she said, pointing to the fighting in Lyn Grove.

Damage to a Lyn Grove, Papamoa, property after fighting broke out earlier this month. Photo/John Borren

"With the population growth here and so many burglaries and things happening in Papamoa, perhaps we need to do something about having permanent police here."

Douch was not alone in the sentiment, often expressed on social media in the wake of any significant crime event in Papamoa.

Papamoa's Neighbourhood Support co-ordinator, Bruce Banks, said that was part of the perception problem - crimes could be amplified on Facebook, often based on information "far from the truth".

Banks said he looked at local property crime - burglaries and the like - statistics every week and had seen no dramatic trends in his 18 months in the role.

That had not stopped people complaining to him that Papamoa needed more police or a 24/7 staffed station.

He said that would be "nice", and more police officers were "definitely needed" - but he saw no reason Papamoa should be prioritised.

Having staff based in Tauranga meant they could be deployed wherever they were most needed.

Papamoa's burglary statistics were low, relative to other areas, and it remained a safe place to live.

Sergeant Tristan Murray, the officer in charge of the Papamoa station, said night coverage of Papamoa had improved this year thanks to a shared arrangement with the Te Puke station.

On any given night, night shift staff would be working out of one of the two stations and covering both.

In the past both stations had been dayshift only.

What do the stats say?

Police reported crime statistics for the combined Papamoa areas of Doncaster, Gravatt, Pacific View, Palm Beach, Palm Springs and Papamoa East showed a general upward trend

The trend was not out of step with the increase in that period across the Tauranga district or even New Zealand-wide.

The 87 crimes reported in those Papamoa areas in October this year was the highest for any month since 2014.

Crime trends for Papamoa areas. Source: policedata.nz

Crime trends for Tauranga. Source: policedata.nz