Residents tackle crime
ONEHUNGA locals are on edge after a spate of crime in the area, including a series of serious assaults.
Police and the Onehunga Business Association are holding a community security meeting on May 18 with the hope it will give residents the chance to voice their concerns.
Onehunga community constable Don Allan says local residents are on high alert particularly after a couple of serious assaults in the area over the last month.
A father and son were assaulted on Princes St on April 9 after the father confronted a group of males attempting to break into cars parked on the street.
An elderly couple were also viciously assaulted and their car stolen after a random attack outside their Mt Smart Rd home in Onehunga on April 4.
‘‘I had a lot of people come to me after the incident concerned and asking what’s going on in the community and what is happening,’’ Allan says.
‘‘Information tells us it was a random attack so people need to be aware that attacks like that can happen anywhere and knowing what to do should they come across a similar incident.’’
Onehunga 30 per cent also had increase a in reported burglaries in March.
Allan says the community needs to be aware of the ways they can work together to reduce crime.
‘‘It’s about getting the com- munity to take ownership,’’ he says.
‘‘This is our community – not the 1 per cent that commit the crime.’’
Onehunga Business Associ- ation manager Amanda Kinzett says there has been a lot of talk in the community about the increase in residential crime in the area.
‘‘There is so much chatter around it at the moment and sometimes what can happen is the chatter can make people quite paranoid,’’ she says.
‘‘What we thought we would do is put a public meeting together so we can talk and see if there are any solutions out there.’’
Kinzett says she hopes the meeting will allow the community to voice its concerns.
‘‘We want to make people aware of what they can do to keep themselves and their property safe.’’
Allan says it is important to report all crime to police.
‘‘When police are looking for where to deploy their staff they see where crime is increasing and that’s the area they will deploy staff.’’