Burglary victim unhappy with police response

Carey Hollinger had film equipment and clothes stolen from the Keith St house he is renovating on February 21. PHOTO/ FILE

A newcomer to Whanganui who lost about $25,000 worth of gear in a burglary is doing all he can to get his belongings back - but feels Whanganui Police are not doing enough.

Carey Hollinger started renovating a house in Keith St late last year, but in February suitcases, a computer, cameras and recording gear were stolen from the house while he was out.

He rang Whanganui Police, and was only able to get an officer to come round by saying he was afraid to go back into the house. Constable Joel Martin came with a dog, but the scent of the burglar was too old.

Mr Hollinger posted notices offering a reward of $500 for the return of his gear and his story was reported in the Chronicle.

Not long a man came to his house to give him some clothes. The man said he had seen something that looked like Mr Hollinger's camera in a Gonville house when he went there to buy marijuana for a friend. The camera had looked out of place, so the man took a photo of it.

Mr Hollinger recognised his camera from the photo.

Mr Hollinger called police and told them about the camera, hoping something could be done immediately. He was told to contact Joel Martin when he was back on duty, so he sent Mr Martin an email.

Mr Martin rang the next day and arranged for a search warrant at a house that backs on to Mr Hollinger's and is occupied by relatives of the family in the Gonville house.

When the warrant was executed police found one of Mr Hollinger's T-shirts, but none of the rest of the gear. However, they took away cellphones.

Mr Hollinger was hoping police would examine the phone data because messages might show his neighbours had burgled him.

Police told him the matter had been referred to the Tactical Crime Unit and Mr Hollinger waited about two weeks but heard nothing. In the meantime he consulted Community Legal Advice Whanganui.

In mid-March he rang Whanganui Police again and talked to a senior sergeant who said the case was not worth pursuing.

He contacted Whanganui MP Chester Borrows and filed a complaint with the independent Police Complaints Authority.

He finally got an interview with Sergeant Damon Evans, a member of the TCU, and recorded it on his iPhone. Mr Evans said he had been told the case was not worth pursuing as a confession would be needed on the phone messages to ensure a conviction.

Mr Evans said it seemed likely the people Mr Hollinger had identified had done the burglary but they didn't have enough evidence to ensure a conviction. Studying the phone would use up resources and might get no result.

"I don't know how many times we've searched through that house and not found anything," he told Mr Hollinger.

Mr Hollinger has accused the police of "ineptitude" and not doing their job properly.

After contact from Mr Borrows office, Senior Sergeant Shane Wainhouse said police would look at the case again and two more search warrants had been executed without finding Mr Hollinger's gear.

Mr Wainhouse said there were still lines of inquiry to follow, but the longer it went, the less likely Mr Hollinger was to get his gear back.

"I stand by my comment that we take burglary seriously, and there was a fair amount of property taken in this one," Mr Wainhouse said.

Mr Borrows, a former police officer, said he was sick of hearing about what the police couldn't do.

"I want to hear the police say what they can do. I expect them to be able to work to the extent of their ability and not to decide that there are other priorities all the time."

As for Mr Hollinger - he is pleased police have been active and he is still doing what he can to get his property back.