Versatile Products owner Chris Munro - his deck is a favourite spot for Tauranga vagrants who smear poo on the walls. Photo/George Novak
Versatile Products owner Chris Munro - his deck is a favourite spot for Tauranga vagrants who smear poo on the walls. Photo/George Novak
A Tauranga retailer is backing calls for the council to get tough on vagrants after years of putting up with them sleeping and defecating on the deck at the back of his 4th Ave shop.
Chris Munro of Versatile Products supports Deputy Mayor Kelvin Clout's plan for a bylaw to give the council more teeth to deal with problems caused by the city's growing population of homeless, now estimated at more than 40 men.
It's difficult to stand the stink and flies.
He was revolted by the excrement that regularly confronted him and his staff, either on the deck or the nearby grassy bank. His worst experience was when faeces was smeared all over the back wall.
"It's difficult to stand the stink and flies," he said. "Knowing it is there does not make you feel good."
He sometimes arrived at work early to find three or four men still sleeping on the deck.
"There seems to be so many of them now."
Mr Munro was threatened last Christmas by a man carrying a beer bottle who suddenly appeared on the deck, before retreating in the direction he came.
He did not deem the incident serious enough to ring the police because of his years witnessing the activities of vagrants along Cameron Rd and the Avenues. He even had empty cans thrown at him on an early morning walk along Takitimu Drive's walkway, near a favourite haunt for homeless men below 10th Ave.
"I'm hoping the council will come up with a solution," Mr Munro said.
Councillor Clout said he was prompted to raise the issue after hearing about Mr Munro's "nasty" experiences.
He was aware of a group of homeless who congregated on the edge of the downtown, drinking bourbon and cola mixes and intimidating residents and passersby.
With vagrancy at the lower end of police priorities, he wanted the council to explore introducing a bylaw or policy to deal with vagrancy.
Versatile Products owner Chris Munro — his deck is a favourite doss for Tauranga vagrants.
"This is not intended to persecute those who are unfortunate to be in this position, but rather protect the essence of our wonderful city."
Mr Clout expected the policy would result in the council working with the nightshelter, community groups and government agencies to provide care and guidance for those willing to be assisted.
"Those who do not wish to be assisted would need to be dealt with through an appropriate bylaw or police action."
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He said the council could look at Hamilton's new Safety in Public Places Bylaw, which addressed the nuisance caused by vagrants who slept rough.
Hamilton's city safe manager Kelvin Powell said the bylaw had led to the introduction of city safe patrols, using specially trained staff with police backup when needed. He said the police did not want to be named in the bylaw as an enforcement agency, but worked closely with the patrols and were part of the reason why they had been successful.
A Cameron Rd retailer spoke on condition he was not named - fearing his shop would be targeted by homeless who he saw intimidating people and hassling women.
He said the majority of homeless were a problem that authorities seemed unable to deal with. Pupils from the Tauranga Primary School were regularly exposed to men lounging around drinking alcohol, including in the bus shelter outside the school.
"There should be a liquor ban when it is in such close proximity to a school."
On one occasion a vagrant demanded money from a woman who got so angry that she said: "Unless you want to lose the rest of your teeth, you'd better piss off." Later, he saw a handicapped woman handing over money.
Tauranga central community constable Ian Searle said police were dealing with the homeless on a regular basis.
"We move them on and deal with them if there is an offence."
