Waikato police station review sparks alarm

Two Waikato police stations could lose staff or close after the completion of a review. Photo / File

Two Waikato police stations could lose staff or close after the completion of a review into rural policing in the district.

Waihi Beach is being eyed up as a patrol base, with its staff transferred to a new headquarters in Paeroa, while Ngaruawahia was also set to lose staff and become a "ghost station".

The area inspectors would move to Huntly - a possible new headquarters - and Paeroa, a new headquarters for Eastern Waikato staff.

However, exactly how all the staff would fit was yet to be determined.

Ngaruawahia's Delta Tavern bar manager Diane Lloyd was worried to hear about any proposal to cut staffing or the station closing and said it would cause a "big problem for this town".

"Especially when I work here, in the Delta, and there's trouble, [police] are always here pretty quickly."

Ngaruawahia High School principal Chris Jarnet said the school had a close relationship with youth aid officers and he was worried that could be lost.

It would mean an approximate 15-minute response time for crimes from out-of-town officers to Ngaruawahia, from either Huntly or Hamilton.

Eastern Waikato police Inspector Hywel Jones said the goal was to get 24-hour coverage for its rural areas.

"Consultation discussions are currently being conducted with staff, unions, partner agencies, local MPs and iwi in relation to a draft proposal under consideration."

When pressed about changes in Western Waikato, police spokesman Andrew McAlley said Ngaruawahia was not closing and Te Awamutu would remain a 24-hour station.

He could not comment any further.

Wayne Aberhart, Waikato-Bay of Plenty director of the police association, confirmed the proposals and although he agreed with new plans for Paeroa, he was dumbfounded by the suggestion to close stations. Waihi Beach was being turned into a patrol base, "which essentially means those doors will be closed to the public".

He said moves to turn Paeroa into the new headquarters was a good idea due to its central location.

If the proposal went ahead, it would be a second hit for Waikato residents after a review of its Hamilton stations in 2012 saw the closure of its three community policing stations, with the public forced to report offences to a new 0800 crime line.

A police source said that under the new proposal, Paeroa and Huntly stations would be manned 24 hours, while Waihi Beach would turn into a patrol base.

Paeroa had been chosen as a new headquarters due to its location - in the middle of the eastern Waikato patch.

Ngaruawahia would be stationed by a receptionist, with all of its staff moved to Huntly. However, there was a possibility the youth aid officers would remain.

"Ngaruawahia's going to be a bit of a ghost station and staff will be based out of Huntly. There will be the lady at the front counter but basically they're going to wind down [Ngaruawahia] station."

Officers would now be required to be more mobile, rather than being stationed in a certain town.

"The whole model is that everyone is mobile and they just run it out of Huntly, but it's never quite the same."

Also, the Thames-Coromandel district would lose its sergeant. The office would be overseen by the sergeant in Waihi or another senior officer shipped in during peak periods.

Proposed changes
• Ngaruawahia police station to lose staff, possibly close.
• Waihi Beach to close with its officers moving to Paeroa.
• Huntly, one of two new 24-hour stations in the district.
• Paeroa, also new 24 hour station, and to take over from Thames as new headquarters for Eastern Waikato police.
• Whangamata to lose its sergeant.
• Other stations, including Raglan, Kawhia, Te Kuiti and Otorohanga, unaffected.