Walkway must stay open

A Tauranga neighbourhood has lost its battle to close an alleyway which it blames for a crime wave of theft, tagging and destruction of property.
Tauranga City Council this week voted overwhelmingly to leave open the alley that has become the scourge of most of the residents living in Hairini's Sapphire Drive.
Residents say the steep walkway up from Harrisfield Drive was a secretive access and escape route for young criminals and troublemakers.
Council agreed to investigate public safety issues associated with the alley, saying it could lead to the alley being lit and a security camera installed. The consensus from the meeting was that closure was a last resort.
In a last bid to persuade councillors, Sapphire Drive resident Carol Searancke outlined how a boy whose family was well known to police, had tagged SIKO on their driveway.
On November 4, another Hairini boy known to police entered Sapphire Drive via the alley to try front doors, look in letterboxes and urinate on a lawn. Police were sent a photo of the prowler taken by a resident.
She said police were grateful for the alerts because the presence of these boys in the neighbourhood was a precursor to trouble.
Mrs Searancke said the 10-year-old was heard boasting at school about what he was getting away with in Sapphire Drive.
The latest spate of problems since residents lodged their petition nearly six weeks ago has included youths in the alley shouting and antagonising dogs, a motor bike driven up and down the alley in the early evening, dogs barking at early morning movement in the alley, orange paint poured over the top of the walkway, and skateboarders banging on alley fences.
Cr Mike Baker said council could create a road for its own back if it closed the walkway. He predicted similar requests would be received from other neighbourhoods with walkway problems.
While it was not necessarily ideal, closing was worse than keeping it open, he said.
Cr David Stewart said the alley was steep, narrow and not welcoming, with dogs on both sides of the fence. "The key is how well it is being used."
Cr Wayne Moultrie said he had talked to young people in the area and he was satisfied the walkway was serving the purpose for which it was built.
Cr Bill Faulkner said it was a people problem, not a walkway problem. "We are not going to give in to anarchy ... let's have a whack at managing it."
Cr Bill Grainger was the only supporter of closing the alley, suggesting a six-month trial.