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- By Chris Harrowell, Eastern Times
Counties Manukau residents are being urged to keep an eye out for suspicious people or vehicles and to question workers who seem out of place in residential neighbourhoods if they feel safe to do so.
Counties Manukau East Police area prevention manager, Inspector Rakana Cook, says police have seen a trend in such incidents across the policing district.
“It’s around members of the public who see people or vehicles and it doesn’t feel right, or sit right,” he told the Times.
“I know some people don’t want to feel nosy, but what I tell people is that it’s what’s in your gut.
“If it doesn’t feel right to you, we’d rather hear about it and know about it than not.
“We want people to report suspicious activity. It doesn’t have to be a crime or an incident.
“It can be anything where they feel it’s not right.”
Cook says an example is people pretending to be a worker and wearing high-visibility clothing to try to make themselves look official.
“We’ve noticed over a period of time, being weeks or months, a lot of our would-be offenders and suspects who are involved in vehicle crime and burglaries, they’re putting high-visibility jackets on and blending into an environment where you think they must be a construction worker or a worker in trade.
“We’re seeing they’re utilising that tactic as a cover, but they’ll utilise it and go onto private property.
“They might even knock on your door and say they’re from the gas company, or the power company, or the council, just to check out your house.
“We want people to know if someone comes to your house, ask them for their identification.
“If they say no, kindly ask them to leave. That then falls back onto the suspicious activity.
“If we look at people arriving in private vehicles, because we know our tradespeople work in vans, utility vehicles, and trucks, with all their equipment, because they’re there to do a job.
“If they’re arriving in a private vehicle that’s not part of their trade, that’s suspicious activity.
“Also, people not in appropriate footwear. We’ve had reports of people in high-vis, but with shorts and jandals.
“If you see someone arrive in a residential area and park up, they might have a van or a ute, but ask why they’re there.
“It’s not about being nosey. You’re also helping your neighbours out. And if it doesn’t feel safe to do so, call the police.”
Cook says people who see suspicious activity or vehicles can phone police on 105, but if a suspicious person is seen going onto private property, phone 111.
