FROM THE NEWS DESK

A public meeting was held in Te Aroha on Sunday to discuss solutions to combat the mounting crime being reported in the town. Police, the local MPand councillors all felt the heat of the community as people struggled to come to grips with what’s happening to their slice of paradise. The meeting was reminded that people had gathered to come up with ideas to improve community safety and that pointing fingers would not move the situation to resolution. There’s a general feeling that the police are under resourced to deal with crime in rural towns and communities. Policing became centralised a while ago, using technology to quickly task staff where there was crime. But many communities, including neighbouring towns such as Matamata and Cambridge, want to see a return to community policing. They want access to their police force rather than be directed to a telephone number. Maybe it’s a case of combining the two to reassure the community? You can read Katrina Tanirau’s story on page 3.

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