WAIHI COROMANDEL POLICE REPORT MARCH 9
Hope to provide sports shoes here and in Africa
Last week in the Coromandel area seven people were arrested for breach of bail and warrants to arrest.
There were also chairs and jandals flying through the air, smashed windows, guns and drugs hauled off the streets, a couple of dustups due to excess alcohol and Waikato Police executed their first search warrant against gang targets under Operation Tauwhiro.
Operation Tauwhiro is an operation to disrupt and prevent firearms-related violence by criminal gangs and organised crime groups.
The operation is a long-term, nationally coordinated one focused on harm prevention and enforcement.
It will see groups that commit violence involving firearms becoming the focus of significant police attention.
A key focus will be investigating and disrupting the illegal supply of firearms to gangs and organised crime groups. Police will also be working closely with iwi, our partner agencies and community groups to identify where services and support can be offered to help address the underlying causes of violence and build greater community resilience.
Monday, March 1
A Coromandel woman was arrested over an alleged assault on two people at a Colville Rd address. A chair was allegedly thrown at one victim and the finger of a second victim was broken during a fight, then a window was smashed after a jandal was thrown. The woman will be appearing in Thames court soon.
Wednesday, March 3
A Whangamata man was arrested for theft at New World Whangamata. He allegedly stole various items and was caught by a staff member. Police attended the scene and discovered he also had a warrant to arrest for failing to appear in court on multiple fraud charges. He was held in custody overnight for court in Hamilton.
A Coromandel man was arrested at Opitonui
Rd in relation to a police search warrant. Four firearms, a pistol and about 30 cannabis plants were seized. This was the first search warrant in Waikato District under Operation Tauwhiro.
Friday, March 5
Two Waihi men received formal warnings for disorderly behaviour after they crashed a party at Kenny St then tried to pick a fight with others when told to leave.
Saturday, March 6
A Paeroa man received a formal warning after a heated incident at Cullen St. He jumped a fence and threatened violence to a group of teenagers at a neighbouring property. Both parties were intoxicated. He was arrested for breach of bail in relation to other charges he is facing and held in custody overnight for court in Hamilton.
Sunday, March 7
A Paeroa man was arrested for theft at
Washington Square after he allegedly stole $99 worth of petrol from a Karaka service station earlier in the day. He thought he was clear having left Auckland, but Paeroa Police were ready and waiting. He has been charged and will be appearing in court.
Two Kennedy Bay men were arrested for multiple offences at the corner of Rolleston and Mackay St, Thames, in relation to a violent incident. They are charged with unlawful possession of a firearm, escaping custody, assaulting police and possession of cannabis. They will be appearing in Thames court soon.
Police contacts
Report crime online at 105.police.govt.nz — If it’s already happened call 105. If it’s happening now call 111. For traffic matters call *555 (mobile phone only). To remain anonymous call Crimestoppers 0800 555 111.
Paeroa, Waihi and Whangamata police station counters are open business hours and police are working 24/7.
Vini Williams’ mum tried hard to make sure all of her eight children had the opportunity to play the sports they loved. It wasn’t easy, he says. With a love of rugby, shoes were always an expensive requirement and sometimes Vini went without.
At times Vini received rugby shoes from others “who worked their butt off to get them for me”.
“My mum always did what she could to keep me in sports. Low income families can’t always give their kids those $100 pair of shoes — they want to, but they can’t pull that money out of nowhere.”
Vini wanted to help students from low income households. So with childhood friend Jack Keeys, both 26, they have created fundraiser Barefoot for a Future to raise money for sports and school shoes for students here and in Africa. They’ve partnered with The Salvation Army New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa Territory to distribute funds.
“We are trying to ease that sort of strain families put on their sports — the classic Kiwi family will do everything they can to keep their kids in sports, so if you can ease that strain on low income families — why not?”
The pair — who were raised in Paeroa — will walk more than 100km in just five days, completing two of New Zealand’s Great Walks barefoot.
In April they’ll head to the South
Island and do the Abel Tasman Coast Track which should take a few days, Vini says. Then they’ll go back up North and take on the Lake Waikaremoana Great Walk which will take two to three days.
Vini, now based in Hamilton, says he started training with 5-10 kilometre daily walks to toughen his feet up.
“My feet have seen better days, I’ve been getting some blisters. In the early stages you’re trying to get use to different surfaces so when I first started I had to rest for a few days afterwards, my feet were so sore.”
Jack, now based in Auckland, says he’s been running on gravel to toughen his feet up, ”which is working well — but leaves a few bruises and blood blisters along the way!”
The tracks are usually done in nine days (five days for Abel Tasman and four for Waikaremoana). “We’re going to do both in five days — including travel time and all in one go.”
Jack says the plan is to walk Abel Tasman track in two days and one night — about 14 hours — then 10 hours, and then fly and drive to Waikaremoana to complete across one afternoon, one full day and a morning (6 hours, 10 hours, 6 hours).
Jack has organised some successful charity fundraising challenges including the Gumboot Marathon, where he ran the full Auckland Marathon in a pair of red gumboots to raise money for Melanoma New Zealand and the Rural Support Trust. He raised more than $22,000.
Their Barefoot for a Future target is to raise $5000 but hope to raise closer to $15,000. “We’re hoping to empower children across Aotearoa and Africa with their new shoes — the impact of that is pretty priceless.”