CommSafe - your rural crime and safety network

The Editor from Te Kowhai Newsletter

Well. it all seems to be doom and gloom we keep hearing about at the moment, so lets keep to the good news.

Te Kowhai
In our last newsletter we mentioned a Triumph Speedmaster motorcycle being stolen in a burglary on Horotiu Rd somewhere. The good news was that the offender managed to damage the ignition system somehow and could not get the bike started. It was therefore dumped at a nearby bus shelter and the owner was able to retrieve it.

We had also mentioned in the same newsletter about a chap in a Painters van who had travelled down a long driveway at 8pm on Te Kowhai Rd and enquired with neighbors as to the location of a property owned by a farmer who these long term residents had never heard of. This was a worry because only a few weeks previous one of the homes at the end of this driveway had been burgled and a motorcycle stolen. We were fortunate that a local farmer read our newsletter and contacted us to say that he was the farmer the guy in the Painters Van was looking for and everything was above board. When we advised the neighbors of this they were very grateful as they had been anxious worrying about whether they were being scoped out for another burglary to take place.

Civil Defense

Do not be too proud to ask for help. This is the message we get from Western Waikato Emergency Operations Centre per Civil Defense Controller Dave Simes. If, because of your age and health you have difficulty getting the groceries or medicines or visiting Pathlab and the likes, then all it takes is a phone call to the Waikato Welfare Call Centre at 0800 800 405. The Welfare centre has a base of 122 Volunteer Buddies covering the Waipa / Otorohanga and Waitomo Districts. 20 of those volunteers have been helping folk to get their groceries and visit the chemist/ Pathlab or Doctor. One of those Volunteer Buddies is well known Kihikihi resident, Dave Nordell who also happens to be a Trustee on Commsafe. There have been 3 or 4 people he has assisted over the past 2 weeks. The Welfare Team have been supporting 83 people throughout the 3 Districts.

Well done to all those volunteers.

Neighbourhood Support Good Neighbour Award

In the past week there were 150 nominations from throughout New Zealand for the Good Neighbour Award which consists of a $50,00 Prezzy Card for both the nominee and nominator.

This past week the award went to Tom of Warkworth. He was nominated by his neighbor's daughter, Toni.

Tom is a young man whose business has come to an abrupt halt. He has his own family but he regularly visits and helps get groceries for his 79 year neighbor who lost his wife last year and has no close family living nearby. Tom's support has helped alleviate the anxiety the family had for their dad living on his own.

www.neighbourhoodsupport.co.nz...

Go to this website if there is someone you would like to nominate.

N.Z. Blood Service

Thank you Te Awamutu people. Within a day of our advertising in our last newsletter about the Blood Drive taking place in Te Awamutu, the Drive was booked out.

Police

Ringing around all the Police Stations in our patch the story remains the same. Reasonably quiet crime wise. Burglaries at a low level. Family Harm incidents on the up slightly but not enough to become a real worry.

Again though, do not be too proud to ask for help.

If you are in immediate danger dial 111. Ask for Police.

Womans Rescue crisis line = 0800 733 843

Victim Support = 0800 842 846

lifeline = 0800 543 354

Waikato Werlfare helpline = 0800 800 405

Tit Bits

Yes, Commsafe is aware of the red Holden Commodore with no plates and smashed windows left on the side of Arapuni Rd near number 1641 for some weeks now. It is not the same Commodore we reported on out at Waimanu Rd, in our last newsletter. Police have been made aware of this vehicle.

Yes, Commsafe is aware of the red Toyota CUJ435 left parked on Arapuni Road near Higham Rd, at about 5pm last evening. The car was not currently registered and when last registered it was to people in Auckland. Police have been made aware.

Yes, Commsafe is aware of the chap using the walkway in Bowden Place at 4.30am 2 mornings ago. He awoke the neighbors with his course very explicit and loud sexual conversation with someone on his cellphone. Not something the neighbors wanted to hear or be awoken to at that time of day. Not sure if there is a connection but a cyclist seen roaming in the same area at 1.30am this morning.

Are we not supposed to all be in lockdown still? If we all stay in our bubble we might be able to at least get to Level 2 quicker than anticipated and relieve some of the stress we all find ourselves under. A feed of fish and chips and a haircut and a game of golf would go down quite well would it not. For some of us anyway.

Thank you people

Darryl Nix

Commsafe