Hamilton community policing: What next?

Hamilton Labour list MP Sue Moroney. Photo/File

A public meeting with Waikato police commander Superintendent Bruce Bird is planned after a local petition calling for the reinstatement of community policing centres in Hamilton was rejected by the Parliamentary Law and Order Committee.

Community policing, established around locally-based police officers who know their community, is regarded as a pro-active way to prevent crime and stop some young people from becoming criminals.

However, 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.

Hamilton people closely involved with the campaign to bring back community policing include former police officer and now city councillor James Casson, Western Community Centre manager Neil Tolan and local Labour list MP Sue Moroney.

Casson said the community policing staff had provided an important service not only in the community but also taking the pressure off front line staff.
"These days they're doing 10 hour shifts. Once the front line guys get behind in their work it is very hard to catch up. The poor buggers on section are just going from job to job."

Casson said Government promises of 880 new officers wouldn't go very far in a nation of 4.5 million and urged people to take the opportunity to put pressure on the politicians in the lead up to the general elections in September.

Neil Tolan said he was disappointed with the outcome and hoped that a meet with the district commander might help to clarify the issue.

"We know Labour and New Zealand First are pro-policing and we definitely need to talk to the district commander to see what resources they can provide the community."

Moroney said she was appalled by the way Government MPs used their majority in the committee to block the Hamilton petitioners request to be heard on the issue.

"Reinstating the community policing model is important to Hamilton residents as dairy hold-ups happen on almost a daily basis."

Moroney said while she was not a regular at the Law and Order Select Committee, the petitioners should at least have been allowed to tell the MPs about the effect the removal of CPCs had in Hamilton communities.

"I was supported by Labour's police spokesperson Stuart Nash but National MPs voted against it citing the convention that politicians don't interfere in police operational issues. We will have to take some local action to have our voices heard on this one. I will be inviting the police district commander to hear from the petitioners in a public hearing in Hamilton."

Moroney said she had yet to contact the district commander on the issue but she had regular meetings with him and planned to arrange a public meeting.
In February National kicked off its election campaign with a promise of 880 extra police officers, including 500 on the beat. Details of how these will be deployed have yet to be announced.

In the 2017 Budget the Government announced it would invest $1.24 billion of new operating funding for policing over four years and $785.6 million of capital funding in law and order initiatives to help make communities safer.