Compulsory new CCTV cameras installed in taxis last week are about to prove their worth in Hawke's Bay.
A driver is awaiting footage which will identify four passengers who stole more than $400 of property from his vehicle.
Napier driver for Hawke's Bay Combined Taxis, Chris Jacobsen, said he had one of
the more than $400 headrests from his taxi stolen by customers early on Sunday morning. He was waiting for the CCTV footage to be processed to help identify the culprits.
"It has to go through a certain process because of privacy laws but when I get it back and take it to the police these guys are going to get caught and prosecuted," he said.
The cameras were installed into taxis under new legislation that went into action last week and required taxis in 15 towns and cities, including Napier and Hastings, to have a security camera system operating in every car, as well as a 24-hour call centre.
Mr Jacobsen said the $900 cost was worth it, as the cost of replacing the headrest was the same as his entire takings for the 11.5 hour shift he worked over Saturday night.
The cameras take a still image every 30 seconds, and he said there would be plenty of the one female and three male passengers he drove from outside Shed 2 in Ahuriri, to Whakatu.
He did not notice the headrest missing until he picked up his next fare back in Ahuriri.
"They were messing around with them on the ride, so I pulled over and told them to stop it but it wasn't until my next fares wanted to go through McDonalds and I turned around to get their order that I noticed it was gone."
A search the next day of the area where he dropped the thieves off revealed nothing, he said.
"I just don't understand why they would do that to me. I was accommodating for them, I turned the music up loud, and louder again when they asked until it was on maximum."
It was understood another taxi driver was also awaiting footage to identify a man who urinated on her taxi.
Hastings Police Senior Sergeant Mike Stevenson said the cameras in general were a welcome security measure that will assist police in their investigations. "For the sake of personal wellbeing and safety in terms of assaults and robberies of taxi drivers it's got to be a good thing and have some sort of deterrent value on customers."
