Station closure sparks backlash

Mary Hannan, left, Ann Redstone, Anna Lorck and Ted Tobeck will be getting signatures for a petition to bring back the Clive community policeman. Photo / Warren Buckland

The closing of the Clive Community Police Station has sparked the formation of a collective that is setting out to build a "Hawke's Bay" voice to keep police based in rural communities.

Labour spokeswoman for Tukituki Anna Lorck, who helped spark the creation of the Hawke's Bay Community Collective, said it was "about getting together and doing something - of getting community consultation".

The group's spokesman and Clive resident Ted Tobeck said while the closure of the station was the catalyst it was not the fight for the group.

"This is not about saving a single community police station. It's a far wider problem," he said.

"You only have to look at the what happened at the Clive Rugby Clubrooms this week to see what happens when we lose community police presence. Crime goes up."

He said the blue line was clearly getting thinner.

"If we don't do something, all our community police stations could be gone, police numbers will be cut, and we will lose the daily community police presence in our towns and villages and even our cities."

Ms Lorck said she was happy to join the five-strong collective which has also drawn in Mary Hannan from Clive, Ann Redstone from Haumoana and Des Ratima from Whakatu.

She said communities needed a greater voice.

Mr Tobeck said it was recognised that police resources were stretched and that they were doing the best they could with what he called "frozen budgets".

"They are busy fighting crime - they can't fight for their jobs too, so it's up to us," he said.

"We need to make it matter, before decisions are made."

He said the Hawke's Bay Community Collective had been formed with the objective of building a strong voice to keep police in the heart of the communities.

"We are against the closure of community police stations," he said.

"Clive is shut, Havelock North's could be next - there is now only one community police office based in Flaxmere."

The group is set to embark on a petition campaign and, over the coming weeks, will be out door knocking collecting signatures, and getting the petition into shops, cafes and meeting places, and they also have an online petition under way at www.change.org

The group is also looking at holding a public meeting and is calling on others to join the collective and help. The petition calls on the New Zealand Police to "undertake full public consultation before community stations are closed, police numbers are cut and the daily community police presence is removed from our towns, villages and cities".

Mr Tobeck had met Hawke's Bay Area Commander Inspector Tania Kura and Tukituki MP Craig Foss but had not been satisfied with their answers.

"They think police patrol teams working the streets is going to replace community police, but how can the police be expected to do more with less resources?" he said.

Mr Foss said a reduction in crime statistics and an increase in resolution rates was due to a refocusing of resources by the region's police.

Senior police management said the district was undergoing a review of its structure and that included staffing and police buildings and no decisions had been made at this stage.

Acting Deputy Commissioner Police Districts Grant Nicholls said all areas were changing the way they worked to provide better services and take advantage of technology - which would free up more front-line police resources.