Police dressed in forensic suits could be seen setting up a gazebo on lower Bank St, Whangārei, on Wednesday morning. Photo / Denise Piper
Police dressed in forensic suits could be seen setting up a gazebo on lower Bank St, Whangārei, on Wednesday morning. Photo / Denise Piper
The death of a 56-year-old woman in downtown Whangārei is not being treated as suspicious.
Part of the city centre was closed to the public today after the woman was found dead on a footpath.
Northland Area Investigations manager, Detective Senior Sergeant Shane Pilmer, confirmed this afternoon thatthe death was not being treated as suspicious.
Police were called about 5.40am on Wednesday after her body was discovered on lower Bank St, less than 100m from the Vine St intersection.
Pilmer said a post-mortem would be completed tomorrow and the matter would be referred to the coroner.
“We would like to thank those impacted by the cordons in place on Bank Street today, for their patience and understanding,” Pilmer said.
The discovery of the woman’s body prompted discussion about safety in the city from retailers.
Handsome Frog Gourmet Foods owner Ian Sturt said staff were recently on guard “pretty much all day” because of the level of crime and violence on the street.
The bakery on Vine St even had a system for staff to ring the bell three times if trouble came knocking.
Its doors were always locked until the moment it opened for safety, he said.
“When we hear incidents of fights or theft or murders, we just go ‘Well, that’s Whangārei’.”
Bernina Northland Sewing Centre co-owner and director Tim Robinson said the death was a “tragedy”.
“And you never want to see this kind of thing happen in the central city.”
He said the incident followed a reasonable period of calm for the central city.
“We just make sure the people are safe in here and town’s an attractive place to be.”
His comments come after NorthChamber, of which he has been president, hosted a team from a ministerial inquiry into retail crime.
Free retail crime prevention training will be hosted for retailers next week as a result of the visit.
A staff member at Biggie Bagels on lower Bank St, outside the cordon, said she felt unsettled by the scene before her on Wednesday.
She felt the crime rate in Whangārei was getting worse but didn’t expect to see a crime scene this morning.
Next door, Little Foodie owner Cameron Thompson said despite the area – particularly the Rose St bus terminal – being known as the “dodgy part of town”, he had always felt safe.
Little Foodie on Bank St is outside the cordon that has closed access to the Rose St bus terminal, which is opposite. Photo / Brodie Stone
“Tomorrow morning I’ll probably have forgotten all about it and walk to work like normal.”
