Faux gardeners: stay out of forest
Steve Bullock is the area commander for Taupo police, which encompasses Taupo, Turangi, Tokoroa, Putaruru and Mangakino police stations and areas. This month he talks about illegal growing, poaching and other unlawful activities that seem to be popular th
I have just blinked and missed January, where did that time go?
All I can remember is that there was little or no rain for most of the month and we now sell alcohol in yellow bags with some very responsible key messages on them.
Great initiative and thanks to the retailers who are spreading the word.
For the purchasers please take time to read the messages, preferably before you open the contents.
The warm weather at this time means we have a slice of our community who feel the need to be all agricultural and gardeny. That’s right, they spend an increased amount of time unlawfully in our forests growing cannabis.
Some even have the cheek to pose as hunters, complete with dogs.
Call me old-fashioned but if these guys spent this much time and effort in a real job they would probably get a better return with no risk.
Apart from embarking on criminal enterprise they damage property and put themselves and others at extreme risk. It is only a matter of time before one or more of these idiots puts our whole community in danger due to a fire. Mark my words. On the poacher front we are continuing to be proactive and are working with forestry and farming partners.
As I have explained before we now have new harsher penalties and I can assure you that police will make every endeavour to lawfully seize and impound any and all vehicles used in the commission of this offence.
I don’t care if you are a ‘ gardener’ or a poacher the message is simple: stay out of our forests.
If you are feeling like me and have a gutsful of these idiots give us a call, on 0800 Crimestoppers if you want, but please call.
I was at the council last week introducing the new Bay of Plenty Police District Commander to our mayor.
We got talking about our community and its past, the highs and lows and in particular public place violence.
Talking about the old days caused me to reflect on just how far we have come in a very short time.
As a new boy in blue during 1991 I can recall attending a 40- man brawl in the Trees Tavern carpark, complete with hammers and shovels.
I remember my sergeant directing me to stand back and wait until it died down.
Sure enough it died down and we set about arresting the main players.
Thanks to the work of police, council and community, we now have a far more responsible drinking culture.
We are not there yet, but we are certainly miles away from 1991, and good miles at that.
Last month I talked about ownership and asked for people to speak up.
To those of you who have, I want to say a huge thanks.
We continue to get good information about all sorts of things, including the scourge that is synthetic cannabis or whatever they call it now.
Not wanting to bang on about this but please, please hear me when I say that there is nothing good about this crap.
It is addictive and makes people dangerous – to you, to us and to themselves.
If you know who is dealing this misery then call us. You will be preventing crime for certain.
My thumbs down this month goes to those who continue to abuse the disability carparks.
Being lazy and ignorant of the law is not a disability.
Show some respect, if not for yourself, then for those who are genuinely disabled.
For those of you who do not wish to heed the moral aspect of this situation, I can advise that any person unlawfully parking in a disabled carpark is liable to a Stationary Infringement Notice which will cost $150.
Disabled carparks are the ones usually closest to the store, for obvious reasons, and are signposted and marked with yellow paint.
You have been warned, so please do not feign hurt or personal attack when one of my officers writes you out a notice.
Until next month, be safe, feel safe and enjoy summer.