THE Neighbourhood Police Team in Porirua’s eastern suburbs is the most successful team in the country.
That is what the Auckland Police, who first piloted the scheme, have told Porirua team coordinator Mathew Samuela.
“With the introduction of the Neighbourhood Police Team were seeing a huge drop in crime,” Mr Samuela says.
The Neighbourhood Policing Team is an initiative aimed at lowering crime in areas with a high rate, by introducing police teams that are based and work in the community.
Mr Samuela says the team works with the community in a joint effort to stop crime in specific areas such as Cannons Creek.
“Every time we had a burglary we would ask the neighbours if they have seen anything, we ask them to be a lot more aware about it,” Mr Samuela says.
“We tell people if you leave your house, ask your neighbours to look after your house.”
The Neighbourhood Police Team also works in the schools talking with children and teaching them about crime prevention.
“We ask them to be a bit suspicious about cars lurking, maybe take down their number,” Mr Samuela says.
Graffiti was another thing the Neighbourhood Police Team wanted to stop.
“We targeted the top graffiti guys. If you look at the shops the graffiti has gone down. We know the response from the youth, they feel more proud.”
Many of the top taggers who have been caught were approached by the Neighbourhood Police Team and asked to do a course which turned graffiti into art.
Mr Samuela says they like to think that those people have stopped tagging.
The team also conducted a survey asking about 500 locals what they think should be done in the neighbourhood.
“They want something done for the youth, they want something for them to do,” Mr Samuela says.
“There are a lot of youth hanging about at night time drunk and that kind of thing.”
The team arranged for the introduction of a liquor ban.
“Since the introduction of the ban there are a lot less people drinking in public, resulting in a lot less crimes being committed,” Mr Samuela says.
“My personal goal is to make our city a more safe and happier place to live in.”
Crime statistics show local policing working
LOCAL policing in Porirua East is helping Kapi-Mana district maintain the lowest crime rates in the Wellington region.
Local policing is making all the difference, Neighbourhood Policing Team coordinator Mathew Samuela says.
“With the impact of the Neighbourhood Police Team we are seeing a huge drop in crime statistics,” Mr Samuela says.
Kapi-Mana district’s crime rates dropped 10% in 2010 and 4.4% in 2011.
Its crime rates fell from 814.2 recorded offences per 10,000 people in 2010, to 778.3 in 2011.
Kapi-Mana has the least amount of recorded crime among Wellington districts – the highest is Wairarapa with 1093.3 recorded offences per 10,000 people in 2011.
Mr Samuela says people are becoming more aware and reporting a lot more which has caused the drop in crime.
“It’s a real community input from residents association, opportunity centre, community police, the Fanau Centre and from all the businesses,” Mr Samuela says.
“We’re all about prevention before it happens,” Mr Samuela says.
Wellington region’s overall crime rate fell 5.1 % in 2011, according to the latest national statistics released by police in April.
The Wellington region crime rates fell from 931.5 recorded offences per 10,000 people in 2010 to 884.4 recorded offences per 10,000 people in 2011.
National crime statistics have also dropped significantly in the last 10 years with a 20% drop in recorded offences nationally, to 921 offences per 10,000 people.