Crime concerns spark Dinsdale meeting

Recent crime has stopped Noeline Jeffries from feeling safe while walking her dog Elle in the Dinsdale area. Photo / Paula Stuart

The rising level of crime in the Dinsdale area is leaving more and more residents concerned about even venturing out into their own neighbourhood.

Long time resident Noeline Jeffries has called a community meeting which has quickly grabbed the attention of local councillors, MPs, election candidates and the police.

"I've seen the area grow - the population has definitely increased and when the population increases you do get crime, but the violence of the crime is becoming worse," Ms Jeffries said.

The most recent offending in the area was on August 16 when the Dinsdale Caltex service station was targeted by ram raiders. The station was unmanned at the time as two offenders attempted to steal cigarettes.

An 18 and 20-year-old male were arrested in relation to the attack and are due to appear in court on September 14.

The meeting will be on Tuesday September 5 at 7pm at the Aberdeen School hall and will allow members of the community to voice their concerns and come up with ideas to help deal with the crime.

"If we sit back and do nothing then the violence won't go away. We've got to be seen to be doing something as a community, and collectively we can come up with a solution."

The most recent figures show a total of 236 burglaries were reported in the Dinsdale area in a 17-month period.

Deputy mayor Martin Gallagher, city councillors Angela O'Leary and James Casson (a former police officer), along with police representatives, will attend the meeting.

Ms Jeffries and members of her community use the website, Neighbourly, to share information about suspicious activities around their suburb. Neighbourly allows residents to participate in conversations with other residents around them.

It has become the virtual community watch for Ms Jeffries and her group. However, Ms Jeffries believes now is the time for community police constables to be brought back.

Since 2009 around 400 police stations and community policing centres have been progressively closed nationally for budgetary reasons including the CPCs at Nawton, Melville and Enderley in Hamilton.

"I think closing them down was a mistake, we used to have community stations everywhere."

"Judging from the online comments I have read and headlines in the local newspapers, it is very apparent that the perpetrators are becoming more organised and that the police are stretched to the limit in their investigations."

Community policing has been a hot topic for Labour going into the election, something Hamilton East candidate Jamie Strange has been particularly involved in on his social media accounts.

"It's disappointing that we have empty police stations dotted around our city, in Flagstaff, Nawton, Hamilton East, Fairfield and Dinsdale," Strange said.

"The advantage of community constables is that they know the people in their neighbourhood. It's policing built out of relationship, rather than officers being called out to neighbourhoods they know little or nothing about."

National MP for Hamilton West Tim Macindoe will be attending the meeting. Mr Macindoe said that Waikato police would be receiving 101 new officers, however he wants to help calm the community by being a link with the police.

"I'd look to be a conduit between the community and the police," Macindoe said. "I would want to discuss the concerns with the police but politicians cannot control the operations of the police."

Hamilton News sought comment from the police, who said they will make a statement at the meeting next week.