Waimarama: Police to crack down on bad driving and bad behaviour

Hastings Police Senior Sergeant Bryan Smith speaking at the Waimarama Community meeting. Photo / Christian Fuller

Police are vowing to crack down on dangerous driving and antisocial behaviour in Waimarama this summer season.

Over 200 people attended a meeting at the Waimarama Community hall recently and voiced their concerns about vehicles being driven dangerously on the beach and intimidating behavioral issues.

Hastings Police Senior Sergeant Bryan Smith is leading the police response in Waimarama and said they've been working on keeping the village a safe place.

"Our focus is on the beach and the roads, motorbikes and cars in the village."

Smith referred to a fatal crash in Takapau and vowed that incident will not be repeated in Waimarama.

"We've had a tragedy in Central Hawke's Bay, we lost three lives – that won't happen out here."

Smith said three police officers would be stationed at Waimarama throughout the summer period - two on-call and one in a road policing capacity.

"Our big focus is people on the beach not allowing swimmers and bathers the space that they require. A lot of that is young people."

Over 200 people attended the Waimarama community meeting held by Hastings Police on Tuesday, December 1. Photo / Christian Fuller

With the financial assistance of some Waimarama residents and bach owners, new cameras will be installed around the village.

Hastings District Council security manager Clint Adams said the cameras will be put up to support the community and the police.

"Cameras by themselves won't solve any of the issues; it requires the community to be involved."

There are already two cameras in the village, one near the bridge and another on Harper Rd.

Adams said two new cameras will be placed facing the opposite way on the bridge and looking towards the other side of Harper Rd.

Three cameras will be put up on one pole between Moori and Airini Rd near the domain entrance.

Tiakitai Rd will also have two cameras installed to keep an eye on unnecessary dumping and the unsavoury behaviour happening around that area.

It's unclear exactly when the cameras will be installed and in use.

The district council has pledged to deploy a team of eight kaitiaki staff to Waimarama, Ocean Beach and Maraetotara Falls from December through to April.

Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst was at the meeting and said the entire community must work together to rectify the current issues.

"While we've had a few issues in Waimarama in the last few months it's about us all coming together to make sure that we have a happy and safe Christmas and New Year period."

A resident also said they were concerned by disturbing behaviour that occurred last New Year's Eve around the campground.

"There were lots of incidents, there were a lot of fights and there was a lot of really bad behaviour, a lot of it was Mongrel Mob affiliated - what plan do you have for that?" he said.

The room clapped the resident's question to the three police in attendance.

Police were called to an address on Harper Rd last year and were confronted by a group who threw objects at them – resulting in a police car being vandalised.

Smith said a larger police presence will be out at Waimarama early on December 31 to prevent any large incidents.

"We've got four staff that is arriving in the afternoon and we've got additional staff coming for the night shift," he said.

There will also be a liquor ban in place over the New Year period in Waimarama.