Whangārei ethnic community hui with Northland police gets the community talking about safety concerns

Northland Indian Association chairman Ralph Correa is pushing young people from the community to help Northland police. Photo / Michael Cunningham

An assault on a 15-year-old in broad daylight has sparked safety concerns within the ethnic communities in Whangārei, and community leaders are working together to team up with local authorities.

A sense of fear about rising hate crime and aggravated robberies in the district has brought minority ethnic groups together to discuss it first hand with Northland police and political leaders.

An ethnic community hui with Northland police on Sunday was the first step towards addressing those concerns. Whangārei police Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Rob Huys, Whangārei MP Emily Henderson, local councillor Vince Cocurullo and 30 members from ethnic groups attended the meeting.

The members of the community shared their stories and concerns, and learned about what they could do to protect themselves with the help of the police.

Whangārei Multi-Ethnic Collective chairman Ralph Correa said the language barrier was one of the biggest concerns where what was understood and what was said might mean a world of difference.

Correa said there were young people from the community available should the police want them to provide some sort of backup service when they faced such issues.

"The meeting was a way for the community to meet with the police and local authority and fortunately, everyone left with a positive note on Sunday.

"They had a better understanding of how the legal system works here and what they need to do going forward to keep themselves and the community safe, and also help the police who are doing an absolutely fantastic job.

"We are happy for our community to provide required service if the police do call on us."

A 15-year-old girl was attacked and robbed on Kamo Shared Path last month. Photo / Michael Cunningham

With regards to the young girl who was robbed recently, Henderson said it was an "absolutely traumatic experience" and she could only imagine what it was like "when you are a stranger in a strange land".

"You are new to New Zealand, you are making this your home and have taken an incredible step to trust us with your lives and to build your life here, become part of our society and become Kiwis; and when something like this happens, it is incredibly frightening.

"There is a big programme of work on how to make our communities safer and it is something we are committed to working on."

Whangārei MP Dr Emily Henderson is part of the Justice Select Committee, which comes into effect next year. Photo / Tania Whyte

Henderson said she was a part of the Justice Select Committee, which comes into effect next year.

"We are looking into the sufficiency of our laws, particularly around racial or religious hatred."

Whangārei police area investigations manager Huys gave clarity on hate crime and shed light on the legal aspects.

"What was inside the offender's head while committing the crime, whether it was to target someone from the specific ethnicity which we call hate crime, or were they going to rob a dairy and the shopkeeper happens to be of Indian descent. In the latter case, we don't call it a hate crime but aggravated robbery.

"All I ask is, whether you are at home, walking down the street, or at work, and if you are racially abused and made to feel terrible just because of the way you look or talk, don't hesitate to call the police on 111. We would rather know about these offenders early."

Whangārei police acting Detective Senior Sergeant Rob Huys gives clarity on hate crime and sheds light on the legal aspects. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Huys confirmed the attack on the teenager was "definitely" a racially motivated hate crime.

Northland Indian Association member Khusbu Laxman said the objective of the meeting was to highlight the barriers the ethnic community was facing in Whangārei, be it the legal or cultural aspects.

"It was a great start. There is a lot of co-operation from the police and political leaders, it is just a matter of sitting down together and discussing what could be done to prevent crime against minority groups in Whangārei.

"We will have more-frequent focused meetings to address the concerns.

"There are a lot of cultural barriers where people don't usually speak up, but I would like to urge the families to come forward, overcome those barriers and seek help. There is a lot of help available where people who are hesitant can talk without the fear of their names going public."