06 July 2011
A major Police operation culminating over the past two days is aimed at changing the attitudes of offenders and how they view the Police's response to serious crime in Hamilton.
City Commander, Inspector Rob Lindsay, said Operation Providence involved 117 officers with 144 assigned taskings focusing on recent serious offending.
"With four homicides in the Waikato this year a lot of resources have had to be committed to solving those meaning delays in dealing with other serious crimes.
"By utilising the investigative skills held by Police in different parts of the District we've been able to focus a large number of staff on areas they are needed the most, interrupting criminal activities and paving the way for follow-on proactive initiatives.
"Hamilton City accounts for about 60 per cent of the calls for service in the Waikato however using this methodology, if a problem is identified in Thames or Te Kuiti we will deploy sufficient resources to address it."
Op Providence has high level support with Waikato District Commander, Superintendent Win van der Velde and Assistant Commissioner, Grant Nicholls, out on the streets backing their staff.
"In the first 24 hours we accounted for 48 people wanted for a variety of reasons," said Mr van der Velde.
"These include three people arrested for aggravated robbery of a Hamilton liquor store in May, another three for an aggravated robbery in March and other people located for interview, arrested for breach of bail or referred to Youth Aid for burglary."
Mr van der Velde said that this type of operation hasn't been done in the Waikato before on such a scale but is certainly something the criminal fraternity can expect to see more of.
"It's about service first, putting the right people in the right place at the right time to the best benefit of Police and our community."
Being responsible for the country's policing resources from the Waikato down to Wellington, Assistant Commissioner Grant Nicholls said Police from across the country were following the
success of the Waikato initiative.
"With a potential 3000 staff to draw on from across the Central-Lower North Island we anticipate today's activities to be the forerunner of several similar operations.
"Its all about a whole of policing approach, sending a message to those involved in criminal behaviour they need to turn their minds to law abiding activity because if they don't the Police, alongside the rest of the community, will be there to ensure they do."
Results as at 1pm Wednesday 06 July
24 persons arrested on warrants to arrest
5 persons arrested on breach of bail
15 other resolutions including youths referred to Youth Aid and formal warnings
4 persons dealt with for loss of licence for demerit points
26 other arrests including for aggravated robbery, burglary, assault etc
12 files sent to neighbouring districts for persons identified as having moved.
10 search warrants completed including one at 9.30am in Hamilton where two men were found to be rolling up cannabis cigarettes, allegedly for sale, in a house when members of the Waikato Armed Offenders Squad arrived. Quantities of cannabis, ammunition and a firearm were recovered from the property.
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