Poacher had security guard in sights
Poachers are causing concern for police in North Canterbury with guns pointed at security guards, farmers threatened and gates worth $30,000 broken in six months.
Paul Stanley, who has worked as a security guard patrolling forests for about 20 years, said the forestry area on Okuku Pass Rd, Okuku, had been targeted by a group of poachers in the past six months. ‘‘We’ve had nearly
$30,000 worth of gates smashed with people trying to break in, gear stolen, diesel taken.
‘‘We’ve had people accosted and threatened.’’
In one incident Stanley had a laser sight pointed at his chest after he confronted someone trying to get through a fence.
‘‘We get regular problems in the other forests but at the moment if you added up the other
15 forests they would just about equal the amount of trouble we’re having here.
‘‘I think there’s a group now who seem to think they’re beyond the law and that’s the problem.’’
He said his job was to find out who was behind the poaching and report it to police.
‘‘I’m not paid enough to die on the job. What I try to do is identify, if I can get a registration number or a photograph I can hand that over to police to take action.’’
One car had been identified, however the driver had covered the number plate with a plastic bag and was wearing a balaclava.
Senior Sergeant Vaughn Lapslie said poaching was causing issues throughout North Canterbury, but said there had been a recent spate in the Okuku forestry area. ‘‘For us it’s the danger; you have people that should be in there and those that shouldn’t and neither know the other is there. It’s the potential that could happen there, when you have two groups with guns, dogs and knives.’’
He said farmers in the area were also concerned with loss of stock and repairing their fences.
The message to poachers was to ‘‘get a permit, get permission or stay away’’, Lapslie said.
‘‘Make the effort that the legal hunters do. It’s not hard to get permission.’’