The CCTV footage posted to Facebook by Te Ahu general manager Mark Osborne, who was appealing for information about the vandalism of the cinema's front doors.
It feels like Groundhog Day for a lot of Far North businesses and community groups lately, as they continue to deal with an alleged upsurge of vandalism and crime in the region.
From smashed windows to graffiti, theft, burnouts and verbal and physical abuse, this is the weekly - if not daily - reality for many trying to get on with providing a service to the community.
Kaitaia Business Association chairwoman Andrea Panther said a lot of Kaitaia business owners were at breaking point and considering taking measures into their own hands.
“There are some people in this community who are very angry and taking it out on innocent retailers,” Panther said.
“One of the local store managers recently had a 15-inch screwdriver pulled on him, while another retail assistant had a pile of goods pushed onto their feet by a customer.
“This was done by adults, not children, so we’re looking to engage people to become local ambassadors so that we have a presence on the streets to make sure all our retailers are feeling safe.”
Panther is also part of the Te Hiku Open Spaces Revitalisation Group dedicated to beautifying townships across the Far North.
The project has won a string of accolades this year for its innovative mahi [work] regenerating spaces and places around Awanui, Kaitaia and Ahipara.
Each time the group finishes a project, however, it seems it’s not long before someone unravels their hard work.
The weight of this destruction was starting to take a toll, said Panther, who was devasted by the vandalism of their most recent project.
“I’m so bloody gutted,” Panther said of a number of solar lights damaged over the weekend - 37 of 87.
The lights, which had only been installed by Laser Electrical last Friday along Kaitaia’s Te Ahu Loop, were kicked off their hinges and strewn all along the track.
Kaitaia resident Corey Bond alleged he had witnessed several young people kicking the solar lights around 1pm on Sunday.
He said he saw around five youths he believed to be around 11-16 years old leaving the scene of the crime.
“The funny thing is, it was broad daylight, so there were lots of people around,” Bond said.
“They got away with kicking off nearly 40 lights which they left everywhere, and when I got back at 6pm to walk my dog, the lights were still there.
“I think the choice of lights was a drastic miscalculation, and [they] needed to be more sturdy.”
Panther said the cost of the lights was not cheap, with losses from damage estimated to be about $15,000.
She said it was another kick in the guts for a project meant to uplift the community which had sustained around $100,000 in losses from vandalism.
“I thought this was an amazing opportunity to get some extra stuff we wouldn’t normally get, and that people would want to protect and look after it,” Panther said.
“I wish [the] people who did this would own up to it and offer to help fix everything, so they can see just how much time and effort has gone into these creating these projects.”
In addition to the damaged solar lights, the same youths are thought to have been responsible for the damage caused to Kaitaia’s Te Ahu cinema on Friday night.
This was not confirmed by the police. However, police did confirm they had responded to a report of damage to the window of a building on South Road, Kaitaia around 10.30pm on Friday.
A police spokesperson said they were currently speaking with two young people with regard to this matter, and enquiries were ongoing.
They also confirmed a report had been received in relation to the Te Ahu Loop incident, of which enquiries were also ongoing.
Te Ahu general manager Mark Osborne said he was alerted to the cinema’s front doors being smashed not long after the incident occurred.
Osborne said nothing at the property was believed to have been stolen, so the incident was potentially just a “buzz” for those responsible.
He said as a not-for-profit organisation, this type of behaviour was hugely disappointing and costly.
“It’s extremely frustrating for us when we’re just trying to keep things as cheap as we can for the community,” Osborne said.
“The damage to the door is going to cost at least a couple of grand, so that’s money we have to recover from somewhere.
“What message does this send to our staff, most of whom are 16-17 years old, who we employ to give a headstart?
“What happens when they see all this destruction and start to question if they’re safe at work, or even safe in their own community?”
Osborne said this most recent vandalism was one of many incidents that had occurred over the years and felt the situation was getting progressively worse, particularly over school holidays.
He said while police had responded quickly to this particular incident, this wasn’t always the case, and he had therefore decided to post CCTV footage of the crime to social media.
Osborne said by posting the video, he hoped it would send a message to potential offenders that they were being watched and would eventually be caught.
“We’ve got 33 cameras around town which we pay into which are monitored at the Kaitaia Police Station,” Osborne said.
“I’m not really a fan of ‘justice by social media’, but after the last time, I thought this would be helpful.
“I understand the circumstances some of these kids might be coming from, but it’s never an excuse for this behaviour.”
Community Patrol New Zealand (CPNZ) trust board chairman Chris Lawton recently visited the Far North to speak to communities in Kaikohe, Paihia, Kaitaia, Doubtless Bay and Kawakawa about the organisation.
Lawton said communities around the country were feeling the impacts of increased violent crimes, and CPNZ was a great way of deterring some of that behaviour.
“We’ve had an excellence response from the different communities, so I’ll be interested to see where this goes,” Lawton said.
“Just in Doubtless Bay alone, we’ve had about 40 people show an interest in getting involved.
“We’re also looking at starting up a patrol in Kaitaia, as well as in Kaikohe and Paihia early next year.
“In addition, we’re hoping to reinvigorate our Kawakawa patrol, and our Kerikeri patrol has been ticking along quite nicely.”