September 17 2012

Mayor calls for action on community violence

Kapiti Mayor Jenny Rowan has called for concerted and unified community action to support the Police and other agencies working to combat community violence in the District.

Speaking in the wake of the murder of Kapiti man Sean Strongman-Lintern at the weekend, Mayor Rowan said it was “a tragedy for his family and extended whanau, as well as the wider community.”

“That this death has occurred only five weeks after the death of 17 year old Izak Millanta, and that both incidents took place within metres of each other in and around Kapiti Lights is cause for real concern and community soul searching.” she said.

Mayor Rowan said serious incidents, such as these, were seldom random and Police had reported a small but “really ugly culture” of young men hooked into drinking, drug-taking and fighting in Kapiti.

“This is a systemic problem that brings together a toxic combination of excessive drinking, drug taking, unemployment, exposure to domestic violence and lack of positive community connections. This leads to a culture of violence, which has very serious and sometimes fatal consequences, as we have seen.”

“There is no one solution and there is certainly not a quick fix. The Police cannot provide all the answers, neither can Council, or any other single agency,” she said.

Mayor Rowan said she had met with Police, Councillors, Kaumatua Don Te Maipi, senior Council staff and staff from the Monteiths Junction Bar at Kapiti Lights, to discuss ways to manage the situation and increase public safety.

She said the police had substantially increased their presence in the Kapiti Lights area and would continue to keep this up for a period. (At the time of the incident, they had a sergeant and five staff on duty, had already made two arrests for violence and were investigating a robbery over by the train station).

Mayor Rowan said the Council and the police would work together with local business owners this week to investigate a range of initiatives to improve public safety in and around the Kapiti Lights area such as increased lighting and use of CCTV cameras.

“We also plan to work with inter-agency groups involving: the Police, Council, NGOs, and government agencies that meet regularly. “If we share the street intelligence we all gather we can get in front of issues contributing to community violence,” she said.

Council Kaumatua Don Te Maipi is also planning a wider community meeting and is calling for more Maori Wardens in Kapiti to support both the community and the police.

Mayor Rowan said having a safe community is a responsibility for the whole community.

“It is not about blame or shame. It’s about positive action that will make a difference. In the meantime, we mourn the needless loss of yet another young person in our district.” she said.

ENDS

© Scoop Media