Patrolling the streets of Lyttelton
They call themselves the Tactical Response Team (TRT). Three nights a week they don stab-proof vests and equip themselves with torches and handcuffs to patrol the Christchurch port town of Lyttelton. They are on the hunt for criminals but the private security guards insist they are not vigilantes. Reporter Lee Kenny joined the patrol.
It’s a cold, clear night and the streets of Lyttelton are empty. The distant dockyard generates a faint hum, otherwise the town is silent. Shannon Mudge and Shane Fuller of Tactical Response Team began their patrol at 9pm. Their six-hour shift will see them walk the commercial and residential roads above the harbour before driving out to the bays at Corsair, Cass and Rapaki.
Lyttelton is New Zealand’s third largest port but despite the 24-hour activity, there is no round-the-clock police presence and Christchurch central police station is 12 kilometres away.
Crime in the area is well-documented with residents reporting vehicle thefts and criminal damage on social media.
In late July a man entered Lyttelton Club holding a pistol and stole money from the register. The raid took place in Dublin St around 9.30am.
The offender was wearing a black balaclava and a hoodie – he is still at large.
A public meeting is planned for this weekend, giving local people the chance to express their concerns about crime to the police.
TRT began its security rounds last month. They say the lack of night-time police patrols has left Lyttelton vulnerable and someone needed to step-up to protect the port town after dark. Their aim is to deter crime or report any activity they discover but they’re also ready if they’re called into action.
Shannon Mudge, TRT’s founder and operations director, has more than 10 years experience in the security industry, having done events, malls and doorwork.
The 31-year-old said the company made no money from providing the service but having grown-up in Lyttelton, the patrols were his way of giving something back.
‘‘Being a local, I got on to the Lyttelton [Facebook] pages and saw people posting about low-level crime that was happening and people were getting annoyed because there wasn’t enough of a police presence,’’ he said. ‘‘I read about people going along breaking windows and smashing wing mirrors and I thought it would be good to provide a presence while there are no police here.
‘‘We want to deter criminals or crime so police from Christchurch don’t have to come all the way over.’’
Kitted-out in combat trousers and military-style boots, Mudge’s uniform is reminiscent of that worn by the NZ’s armed offenders squad, the specialist police unit that responds to high-risk incidents such as terrorism and hostage situations.
The TRT team also wear stab-proof vests and at $1300, they are the same technical specifications as body armour police use.
Mudge said they plan to start wearing high-visibility vests so they are more approachable and their black Nissan SUV will be covered in TRT’s branding to also make them more visible.
The two-man crew also carry torches, a first aid kit and a set of handcuffs so they can deal with emergency situations.
They perform the patrols three nights a week but The Press has agreed not to publish their schedule. According to NZ Police website, Lyttelton police station has ‘‘no set opening hours’’ but Mudge said it is not staffed after 5pm.
A police spokeswoman would not give the operating hours of the Sumner Rd station, saying officers are dispatched to areas ‘‘based on demand’’ meaning ‘‘districts have more flexibility to deploy staff where and when they are needed most’’.
‘‘While Lyttleton police station has no set hours, we do have a staff presence there in addition to the frontline staff,’’ she said.
‘‘We monitor the workload of all our staff, right through the district, to ensure officers are deployed in the right areas at the right time. We are comfortable with how we have our staff deployed and are confident in how we prioritise our resources.’’
She said NZ police was aware of TRT and would ‘‘encourage those involved to link in with local community patrols’’.
‘‘There are no rules specifically in regards to civilians using handcuffs. There are however a number of sections in the Crimes Act which apply in relation to a citizen’s arrest and use of force,’’ she said.
Mudge said he had spoken to Christchurch police and TRT was within its legal rights to carry out the patrols. ‘‘As they said to us, they don’t want to endorse us. They said ‘we can’t stop you from doing
this’. We’re not here to do the role of the police, we’re not here to arrest people, we’re here to prevent and deter crime from happening. If [criminals] know we are here, they might think twice.’’
Shane Fellows, TRT operation manager, is a former NZ serviceman but he prefers not to talk about his military past.
He said there was a need for the service TRT provided.
‘‘We’re not vigilantes, we’re security staff. We’re trained in welfare, we’re trained in patient care.
‘‘We want to make people feel safe and to be able to walk down the street at night without some toerag [attacking them].’’
In 2016 The Press reported residents and businesses were fed up with break-ins, burglaries and drunken disruption.
In the two years between September 1
2017 and August 31 2019 there were 296 crimes reported in Lyttelton, compared to
364 offences in New Brighton and 216 in Sumner.
Of the recorded victimisations in Lyttelton, 108 were ‘‘unlawful entry with intent/ burglary, break and enter’’ and 165 were ‘‘theft and related offences’’.
Across the country more than 5000 volunteers provide patrols in over 150 communities as part of Community Patrols of New Zealand (CPNZ).
Chris Lawton, CPNZ chair, said there was not currently an active volunteer patrol in Lyttelton but other Christchurch CPNZ groups did go into the town as part of their rounds.
‘‘As the chairman of Community Patrols NZ I’m aware of the need for extra patrols in Lyttelton,’’ he said.
‘‘I know they are looking at an increased capacity, whether that is one of the existing patrols or setting up a new one.’’
TRT is now in its fourth week of the patrols and Trudi Marshall, manager of Lyttelton Club, who was on duty when the armed raid took place on Wednesday July
31, said she supported their work.
‘‘I think it’s a great idea. I can’t fault it,’’ she said.
‘‘I was the one held up in the robbery. It’s nice to know that they (TRT) are dropping in to check on staff.
‘‘From the Lyttelton Facebook pages and what’s been going on around here they need someone going around at night.’’
Mudge, a dad-of-two, said they had yet to discover any crimes taking place, but he was glad about that.
‘‘It’s a good night when we know that nothing’s gone on,’’ he explained.
‘‘If we don’t have to put hands on anyone or we don’t have to detain anyone, that’s a good night for us to be able to go home to our families.’’
Mudge said although they have received some criticism, the community’s response has been largely positive.
‘‘There’s been people asking how we operate. There’s people that have said we just want to be cops. People not really asking the right questions. More assuming what we are doing.’’
He said there was also some concerns about the company’s name following the March 15 Christchurch mosque attacks but he said he launched the firm a month before the atrocity.
‘‘I had this name way before the shooting happened in Christchurch,’’ he said.
‘‘When people see tactical, they see armed offenders, they see people with guns.
‘‘Unfortunately, because of the shooting and what’s happened it’s made people feel on edge about the name but once I tell people about what it is and how it came to be, people feel more [reassured].’’
Andrew Turner, Christchurch deputy mayor and a councillor for Banks Peninsula ward, was also aware of TRT’s patrols.
‘‘There is a perception, if not a reality, that crime has increased in Lyttelton, especially break-ins and burglaries,’’ he said.
‘‘For some people the armed hold-up at Top Club was the final straw.’’
He said he had known Mudge for a number of years, and that he has ‘‘strong connections with the community’’ and was providing the service as a ‘‘matter of goodwill’’.
Back on patrol and it’s a quiet night for Mudge and Fellows.
As they walked along London St, Lyttelton’s main commercial road, it was deserted, but for a woman walking her dog.
Fellows approached her to explain who they were and she thanked him for coming over.
Mudge is unsure how long they will be able to provide the free service but hopes to continue until the police increase their presence in Lyttelton.
‘‘[We will stay] until they can find a suitable replacement or until we are told to go. Until then we will stay around and help where we can.
‘‘I believe the community has got behind us and they are happy with what we’re doing. We’ve been getting a lot of praise, a lot of thanks.’’
■ A public meeting to discuss crime and policing in Lyttelton will be held tomorrow at 5pm at Lyttelton Arts Factory on the corner of Oxford St and Sumner Rd.
‘‘We want to make people feel safe and to be able to walk down the street at night without some toerag [attacking them].’’ Shane Fellows