On 25 May the Bay of Plenty Times front page headline story was about a shop manager in downtown Tauranga who had experienced a 'terrifying' incident where she was harrassed for more than 20 minutes by a drunk and out-of-control 'vagrant'. The article suggested the person was homeless. The incident prompted me to write the following letter to the Editor:
Dear Sir
Your front page story 25 May highlights two distinct issues: the first concerns the safety of retailers, and the second is the issue of homelessness in Tauranga. On the first issue, retailers are vulnerable to shoplifting/theft, robbery, intimidation and violence. Shops are often staffed by women, frequently young, and in small numbers. In response to these crime and safety risks, Tauranga Police, together with Tauranga Safe City, Department of Labour, ACC, Mainstreet Coordinators and other agencies put together a Retail Crime Prevention Expo over two days in July last year at Bureta Park. The Expo is a programme of talks and displays that addresses all aspects of retail crime – including how to respond to threatening behaviour. Every retailer across the city and western Bay of Plenty was contacted personally by the Police and Mainstreet Coordinators and despite armed robberies in Te Puke and Katikati on the weekend prior, attendance was poor. Nevertheless the group is planning to run another Expo and we urge retailers to take the time to come and learn about how to protect themselves, their staff and their businesses. In the meantime, assistance is a phone call away with the Community Constables who are only too willing to come and provide information and advice.
On the second matter, the perpetrator in this incident was not homeless. He was drunk. The issue of homelessness in Tauranga is being addressed through the actions of a steering group comprised of all the government agencies, Council, and churches that are working with homeless people. Arising from this group, the Tauranga Moana Nightshelter Trust has been formed with Mayor Stuart Crosby as patron. The Trust is drawing on local and international best-practice to establish a Nightshelter in Tauranga that will provide a bed for people living without shelter, and access to support services that can help break the cycle of homelessness.
