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Sharing info, fighting crimeWhanganui Chronical Kathryn King
Wanganui Neighbourhood Support co-ordinator Janet Worfolk said a drive from the organisation had recruited 84 new businesses to their free business database, bringing the total to 277. Miss Worfolk said businesses that joined the database were sent weekly newsletters updating them on burglaries, what was "hot property", trends, and scams that had come to light. They would also be provided with information including how to avoid theft, look for fraud and what to do in the event of a robbery. Businesses were offered the opportunity to call in anything that might be of help to the wider business community, such as a spate of petrol drive-offs. Miss Worfolk said a few years ago, one business phoned her to say they had been given a fraudulent cheque. She passed the information around the group and a short while later had another business owner call her to say they had the person writing cheques in their shop at that minute, trying the same thing. She said occurrences like that were rare, but did happen occasionally. Miss Worfolk also notified police of the incidents as she heard of them. Miss Worfolk said she was pleased with the increase in the number of Neighbourhood Support members.
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