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Hands off my wheels!The Aucklander, 27 November 2009
Erin Ainsworth wants people to keep their sticky fingers away from her car. For nine months, her only mode of transportation was parked comfortably outside her Te Atatu Peninsula home. Then, in August, someone sprayed a line of green paint from one end of the car to the other. In September, the car was stolen in the dead of night. Police found it in Mt Eden a week later. But, within a month of being returned, the car was attacked again. This time, the front passenger window was broken so the attacker could rifle through the vehicle looking for something to steal. Miss Ainsworth is understandably furious and frustrated. "It has been pretty devastating, she says. "The car had been key to my independence here. Miss Ainsworth is from the United States and is working here as a nanny. "It feels like there has been a wave of crime. I've heard of a lot of burglaries around here. Families I know have had their homes broken into, says Miss Ainsworth. "My car sat on the road for nine months with no problems, without being touched, and then all this in the space of three months. Miss Ainsworth is among a growing number of Te Atatu people who've noticed a rise in vandalism and crime. "There seems to be an uprise of incidents across the city,'' says Te Atatu Community Board chairwoman Elizabeth Grimmer. "Anecdotally, there seems to be a rise in vandal ism and that sort of thing. I can't understand why they would do it.'' Mrs Grimmer says the usual triggers, warmer weather, school holidays, etc, don't really count. "It wasn't that warm when all this started, and it wasn't school holidays. I am not sure if it's the same group. I just can't get a feel for it. I'm not sure if it's the same group or an outbreak.'' In late September, Neighbourhood Support Waitakere reported Te Atatu Peninsula as a hot spot with 13 burglaries in 14 days. In the report, the offending is listed as mostly in daylight hours, with main points of entry through insecure garage doors or through lower windows removed by the burglars. Neighbourhood Support Waitakere chairwoman Georgia Ball says Te Atatu is not alone. "We have noted an increase in calls from residents regarding burglaries and theft from cars, she says. "Unfortunately, we have also noted a similar increase in calls from various parts of the city. This is, in part, due to the time of the year, but it is a matter of concern. Mrs Ball says Neighbourhood Support is working with police to deal with the issues. "We encourage people to contact us and join Neighbourhood Support. Where streets are part of Neighbourhood Support crime can be seen to go down.'' Senior Sergeant Ross Hunter, of Henderson police, says there has been a minor issue across Te Atatu Peninsula. "But we have also seen an increase across the city in car thefts, he says. "You only need one or two people to be involved and that can create spikes. Miss Ainsworth is glad to have her car back and she no longer parks it on the road. "It would be nice, though, if they caught who is responsible for all this.'' Source: http://www.theaucklander.co.nz/have-your-say/news/hands-off-my-wheels/3906831/ 27 November 2009 |
