February 2007 - Stats for CRRA.

The Hornby Police have now committed to providing us with the monthly crime stat's for our area. 

This map shows 'high volume' crime.

Crime of Interest. 

This map doesn't show all the crime in Riccarton.   If we were to present a map showing all the crimes in the area over a month you may not be able to see the map for the dots.
 
 

Click on the map to see if full size. 

Understanding Crime

Peter Laloli, Hornby Police, took some time out to explain how our local policing works. 

IT features highly in todays fight against crime. 

It is used extensivly to empower some good old fassioned policing.

Peter explained that in the past officers would patrol areas suspected to be a problem.  Today offices get daily information in the form of maps and reports that show them exactly where problems have occurred recently.

Reporting crime is critical to making modern policing work it's best for us, the community. 

While you might think that a bit of missing washing isn't worth reporting and is wasting Police time, Peter explained that it's just the sort of thing that can give Police a 'heads up' that there is a problem in our area.  

Police focus on three key area - Hot Property, Hot Places and Hot People.

Remove any one of these three and the triangle is broken.

Hot People - Spotting these in our community is easy.  They try to blend in and look like people who belong.  The 'student look' is popular, dressed in jeans and sweet shirt and hat so you can't see their face.  They often team up.  One as a look out with the other breaking in to your home.

Remember, if it looks like a duck, smells like a duck and goes quack, then chances are it's a duck!

If you have a mobile phone on you dial *555.  It's a free call to the police control.  They'll ask you for a description, where the persons are heading and who you are. 

Hot Property - CDs, Cash, DVDs, Cameras, Mobile Phones, Play Stations, Xbox 360's.  If it's worth a bit, easy to carry (small) and easy to sell on Trademe then it's Hot Property.  

Don't make is easy to take.  Cable ties are a wonderful invention.  

Don't make is easy to sell.   Less than $50.00 gets you an engraver from Dick Smith.  You might not want to mark your mobile but there's always a space on the power pack and the other bits that come with it.  Use the pin feature on your mobile.  It's not much use to anyone if they can't use it.

Hot Places - You can see where they are by looking at the map.  So can the police and so can we, your residents association.  The police and community watch can patrol more often.  We can invest in putting in security cameras to catch pictures of offenders.

Cameras are Coming

In London today the average person shows up on over 300 camera one their way to and from work. 

Take a close look around the Riccarton mall and you'll be surprised at just how many cameras there are.   The mall management has them, the retailers have them, even the people are carrieing them.

Some residents are also starting to put in cameras to help catch the people putting graffiti all around our suburb.

Don't be fooled, by the end of the decade Riccarton is going to be a much safer place to be if we work as a community and invest in our future together.

Don't hesitate - Report it.