Whangamata Police report - June 19

Whangamata Police Sergeant Will Hamilton. Photo / Alison Smith.

Wheels on the bus ... come to a stop

I am still being told that people are not slowing down around the school buses. Whenever a school bus displaying school signs is loading or offloading children, you must slow down to 20km/h when going past. This is not something you decide depending on the day or how late you may or may not be. Some pretty hefty fines or licence suspensions could result if we have to take action. This is about looking after our young ones in the community.

Whangamata speedway

Still seeing some pretty up-there speeds on the Causeway in Whangamata. The team and myself will continue to be visible around town enforcing speed limits, cell phone use, lack of lifesaver - seatbelt - and drug/alcohol impairment.

Groomster sentenced

An Auckland male has been convicted of sexual grooming - travelling to meet a young person - and sentenced to 1 year and 6 months imprisonment. A huge thanks to my team and also nearby staff. This is a great result for this community and the family who fell victim. This is a timely reminder to keep a close watch on your children's internet and app use. In this instance, the young victim was approached through a popular app which led on to other forms of contact, all while the geographical separation between the offender and victim remained. Predators like this do not discriminate so please be aware. Visit the NetSafe website to learn some great ways to keep your young ones safe.

No drugs Whanga

A 47-year-old Whangamatä resident has pleaded guilty to methamphetamine and possessing cannabis for supply charges and is due to be sentenced on these at a later date. A timely reminder to those wishing to pollute our community with illicit drugs, you will not be tolerated. Those who may be continuing to do so, it is only a matter of time before you end up facing court action.

Big brother

At about 1.30am on June 14, a vehicle decided to do a burnout on the roundabout at the intersection of Ocean and Port Rds. Our town cameras have caught this act and I invite anyone with information on the identity of the driver to come and have a yarn to me. You don't have to put your name to paper, just a quiet whisper in my ear is sufficient. If you are the driver, I equally welcome you to come to see me.