Residents start fundraiser to catch burglars

A string of burglaries has spurred a Whangarei community group to fundraise for their own security cameras.

Burglaries of homes and businesses on Whangarei Heads over recent weeks have spurred residents create a Givealittle page to raise funds for a CCTV camera to help catch suspected thieves. So far 75 donors have generated $5665.

Susanne Olsen, of the Discover Whangarei Heads community group, created the Givealittle page last month and said there was a common desire by residents to keep criminal activity away from the area.

"The Heads has one special feature that we can utilise - there is only one road in and out and all vehicles must pass through the Parua Bay village area," Olsen said.

"As a community we can act."

It would cost about $3000 to install one CCTV camera in Parua Bay, but the group hoped to put in more than that.

The camera would record all vehicle movements, and in particular number plates, which would be handed to police.

"More importantly once it is known that all movements are recorded the criminals are usually put off and go elsewhere," Olsen said.

Whangarei Heads resident and farmer Grant Faber hoped other community groups in the area were encouraged by the response and would fundraise to have more cameras installed to create a safety network.

He said final arrangements were being made as to where the camera would be positioned and installation would begin within the next week.

Signs were also being made warning people of the CCTV camera operating in the area.

"It's small beginnings but I hope we could get four or five cameras out here. We could achieve a lot with that many."

Last month Parua Bay petrol station was targeted by ram-raiders for tobacco and then in a second thieves targeted fishing gear.