‘I should be safe in my own home’
Alice Heymans has lived in Huntly about three weeks, but it’s looking like she chose the wrong three weeks to move in.
Crime is heating back up after an early winter slowdown on the back of a police crackdown and extensive Stuff coverage of social issues in the town in its Westside
Stories series.
The 57-year-old Aucklander used her inheritance to buy the house in the north Waikato town – the first time she’s ever owned a home.
But since moving south she’s had three brushes with crime. Her visitors have had items stolen from their cars and now her home has been burgled.
She’s considering up and moving before she’s finished unpacking. And she’s one of the victims of a rising trend in property crime in Huntly that has seen two to four homes a day burgled in the last month, police say.
‘‘I heard Huntly was a bad place and I thought, nah, it can’t be that bad ...I chose to come here,’’ she said after arriving home to find her house burgled on Thursday.
‘‘I think it was a big mistake, now,’’ she said. ‘‘I know there are a lot of nice people here – don’t get me wrong – but there’s also too big a a bad element here, as far as I’m concerned.’’
Heyman was having breakfast with her partner Hemi Fenton in town on Thursday morning when she got an email from her alarm company.
It informed her the power had been cut to her Paki St home.
The pair shot home, arriving at 11.30am to find the power meter cover torn off and back door kicked in. Thieves had swiped their computer and television, leaving the remote.
Whoever did it had also tossed a rock through the driver’s side window of her car and stolen her GPS. The burglary comes a week after a visiting tradesman had his cellphone and iPad stolen from his van.
The neighbours have also fallen victim, having their cigarettes and GPS stolen from a car. Heymans had spotlights and cameras ready for installation but hadn’t got there before Thursday’s burglary.
‘‘This is my home. I should be safe in my home.
‘‘My friends, family, visitors, anyone should be safe to come ... I don’t feel that anymore,’’ she said.
‘‘The joy for me in owning a home and making it my home has gone.’’
Heymens reported the crime to police at midday on Thursday but was frustrated fingerprints couldn’t be taken until the following day.
Police confirmed they had received two reported incidents relating to the residential burglary and theft from the vehicle on the 13th and 21st of June. A 14-15 year old boy had been arrested after information was received from the public.
Waikato police’s Western Area Commander Inspector Andrew Mortimore said police aim to attend every residential burglary within 48 hours of it being reported.
The burglary was reported just before midday Thursday and a scene of crime officer had fingerprinted the home at 8.30am on Friday.
In the last month police had seen a rising trend in daytime residential burglaries and theft from cars in Huntly, Mortimore said. An estimated two to four homes a day were being burgled.
‘‘It is a trend we are aware of and are monitoring.’’
Police suspected it was a large group of youths committing the crimes but were yet to gain enough evidence to take further action, he said.
‘‘We’re doing as much high visibility patrolling as we can, and we believe we know it is a large group of young people responsible.
‘‘We’re fairly confident but we need to have the evidence to take it to the next stage.’’
The scale of disorder and crime in Huntly had diminished since police cracked down earlier this year, covered in Stuff’s Westside Stories series.
But in the last month Mortimore said police were seeing a different nature of offending rise.
‘‘It’s starting in terms of volume of crime – but we are very aware of it, so that it doesn’t grow into something bigger like we had late last year.’’
He urged residents to watch out for their neighbours. Report any suspicious activity to police immediately and remove valuables from vehicles. Anyone wanting to report a crime can call 111 or phone Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
‘‘I heard Huntly was a bad place and I thought, nah, it can’t be that bad ...I chose to come here.’’
Alice Heymans