Crime and incident report for December

By Senior Constable J Muir (for Ōmokoroa) and Sergeant Steve Hindmarsh (for Katikati)

Burglaries

Rural burglaries have continued in the area.

A large number of tools were stolen from a Crosby Lane, Tuapiro orchard shed on the night of the 3rd of December.

Also on the 3rd of December, an address on Apata Station Road was broken into and a computer and a drone were stolen.

In the early hours of the 5th of December, an offender has used a chainsaw to cut farm gates open at a SH 2 Whakamārama address. A large triple axle flat deck trailer has been stolen from a neighbouring property. The trailer has since been recovered from a property in the Coromandel area and following a line of enquiry, the suspect has been identified and was to be arrested later that week.

Theft

An Ōmokoroa woman was apprehended shoplifting at Fresh Choice supermarket on the 3rd of December.

Cash accidentally left in a Katikati Cash flow machine on 7th December was stolen. CCTV enquiries are underway.

There have been sporadic petrol driveoffs which we are dealing with across the district.

Rural letterboxes are also being targeted so please contact police if you observe any suspicious behaviour. Remember LOCK it or LOSE it.

On the 3rd of December, a 32-year-old Ōmokoroa man was arrested and charged with assault with a weapon, assaulting a person in a family relationship and contravening a protection order x 2. He was remanded in custody to appear in the Tauranga District Court on the 9th of December.

A 29-year-old Whakamārama woman was located at a Whakamārama address

Arrests and Apprehensions

on the 6th of December. She was arrested on a warrant for failing to appear at the Tauranga District Court. Several more charges were laid in relation to shoplifting incidents around the Tauranga to Katikati area over several weeks. She was remanded in custody to reappear in the Tauranga District Court on the 17th of December.

We have received several second-hand reports about letterboxes being damaged. Unfortunately at this stage, no reports have been made to the police.

The district will be getting several new CCTV cameras. A list of locations is featured in a full story in this edition of Lizard News.

Please ensure that any crime in the area is reported. We get several inquiries about offending, but some are not being reported.

Wilful Damage CCTV General

The 105 number is for historic or minor matters and is an easy way to report crime or suspicious behaviour. Crime and incidents can also be reported online at https://www.police.govt.nz/adviceservices/all-online-options (or Google NZ Police Crime Reporting at it will take you to where you want to go).

Anything reported on the phone or online is viewed by the Katikati Police staff and appropriate action is taken where it can be. Call 111 for serious offending or incidents that require more immediate police attention.

If you SEE something SAY something. The annual food drives held in early December were a huge success with the good people of Western Bay giving generously. Police, Fire and Ambulance all took part covering different areas of the district. Hopefully, the foodbank cupboards have been replenished for some time. A big thank you to all of those who helped.