Rotorua’s new police Community Beat Team has been praised after its crackdown on shoplifters, disorderly homeless people and those having sex in public view.
The team has hit the ground running and in a week, arrested seven members of the homeless community and several others for shoplifting, including a sting in one store that nabbed four people in one morning.
The presence of the beat team was working wonders, according to one local retailer, who said the number of suspicious people hanging around had “dramatically decreased”.
The Rotorua police area prevention manager, Inspector Phil Gillbanks, said those arrested from the homeless community faced charges including bail breaches, outstanding warrants to arrest, disorderly behaviour likely to cause violence, shoplifting and trespass.
Those engaging in sexual behaviour in public view had also been charged.
“Over the past month, four persons have also been arrested for committing indecent acts in a public place whereby they have openly engaged in sexual activity in view of the public.”
Gillbanks said two arrests stemmed from complaints after a video showing two people moving underneath a blanket on Pukuatua St was widely shared on social media.
He said two other people were arrested after locals supplied a video and police were able to identify those allegedly involved.
“Police make no apology for intervening in any of these types of behavioural incidents as it is what the public expect around upholding common decency and behaviour expectations,” Gillbanks said.
He said police were sympathetic towards the plight of people and, when required, worked hard with them to provide access to a mental health nurse while they were in custody.
He said police also referred people to non-government organisations where available.
“What we cannot control is a person’s willingness to engage with the supports offered.”
He said an arrested person’s property was taken with the arrested person, or if the person did not want to take it, it could be left with someone the arrested person wanted to look after their property.
He said Rotorua Lakes Council staff had been dealing with any unattended property left within the CBD.
Gillbanks said that while the objective of the beat team was to provide a presence in the city, they had also recently been focusing on a retail sting to catch known shoplifters.
“We know some are committing this crime for survival, but others are doing it as part of organised groups.”
Police Minister Mark Mitchell launched the beat team on July 3. It consists of five constables and a sergeant who walk the CBD streets.
Toyworld Rotorua store manager Mark Sherman said there had been a marked improvement since the beat team started operating.
He said having good-quality cameras to catch offenders also helped the good work police were doing, something which was on the retailers themselves to ensure they were providing.
“I’ve supplied our footage to the police, and they’ve said, ‘Wow, you are giving us great, clear images’. They can look at it straight away and know who it is because a lot of these people are known to them.”
He agreed with police that some shoplifting had an underground commercial element to it.
“No one is stealing a toy to survive.”
He said he appreciated the work of the beat team.
“The number of suspicious people coming into the store has dramatically decreased.”
He said one team member even caught an alleged shoplifter while he was off-duty.
Sherman said he spotted someone walking past the store he had earlier seen on camera allegedly stealing. Sherman contacted one of the beat team members, who was off-duty at the time but still went for a look around the CBD.
“And sure enough, he found him.”
Sherman said the “nicer feeling” around the CBD meant retailers could enjoy their customers more, rather than looking at some and being suspicious of their intentions.
Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 25 years, covering mainly police, court, human interest and social issues.