CHB Police workload ‘close to double’ in late December to end of January

LandSAR volunteers and Police SAR staff carried an injured woman down from the Ruahine Range on Saturday.

Police were called to nearly double the number of incidents in Central Hawke’s Bay last month, which included burglaries, car thefts and the arson of a mobile home.

Burglaries included a Rinnai fireplace stoled from a house under construction in Mt Herbert Rd Waipukurau, and numerous items from a home under renovation in Abbotsford Rd, Waipawa - where everything from the toilet and taps to the kitchen cabinet handles was taken.

The CHB Aero Club was targeted twice over December and January with aviation fuel siphoned from a visiting pilot’s aircraft sometime between December 24 and 28, and a hangar entered and fuel siphoned from a microlite on January 3.

Centralines in Coughlan Rd was hit three times with the theft of a red Mtisubishi L300 van in one incident, and copper cables and transformers stolen in two more incidents.

Residential burglaries included a chainsaw and waterblaster stolen from a shed in Hatuma Rd, Waipukurau, and bank cards stolen from a house on Takapau-Ormondville Rd.

Two people were arrested at the old hospital site in Waipukurau and charged with being unlawfully on the property, after allegedly attempting to take timber framing from the site.

A farmer on Porangahau Rd chased an offender after finding the man in his hay shed removing a registration plate from a vehicle. The offender had also attempted to steal fuel and when chased by the farmer in his vehicle threw Z nails onto the road, puncturing the farmer’s two front tyres as well as flattening tyres on three more vehicles. This offender is still at large.

A vehicle parked at Lindsay Bush, Waipukurau, was broken into and offenders tried to start it. When this failed they slashed the tyres and then fled, leaving a car stolen from Dannevirke dumped beside it.

Another vehicle, parked at the Yeoman’s Mill carpark, was stolen and driven away, being seen speeding on Makororo Rd and later found dumped on Wakarara Rd. Police are following positive lines of inquiry.

On New Year’s Eve a mobile home parked in a quarry on Walker Rd, Waipawa was set alight while the owner was spending New Year’s Eve with family. On returning on January 1 he found his mobile home burnt out and he has lost all his possessions as he was living in the vehicle. Police are keen to hear of anyone with knowledge of this offence.

On December 24, offenders climbed the fence into the carpark of the Tukituki Medical Centre and smashed wing mirrors off every vehicle in the carpark. Offenders also smashed a window at the AW Parsons Stadium on January 14.

Police are warning the public to look into the credentials of tradespersons before paying money up front, after four instances when a roof painting company has been engaged to do work, accepted deposits of up to $3500 and allegedly failed to turn up. Inquiries are ongoing.

Senior Constable Andy Walker, HB Police SAR co-ordinator, is praising the efforts of LandSAR search and rescue volunteers after a woman was reported to have injured her ankle near Longview Hut in the Ruahine Range on Friday night.

The woman’s husband put up a tent on the track for shelter and a LandSAR team trekked to the site that night in a downpour to ensure her safety. Two more teams went in on Saturday morning and the woman was stretchered out, as the weather was too wet for the rescue helicopter to operate.

Senior Constable Walker says two Police search and rescue and nine LandSAR volunteers took part in the rescue, and more LandSAR volunteers were standing by ready to go if needed.

Walker says it was a great response and the injured woman is now recovering at home.

Anyone with information about any of the incidents mentioned can contact the Police 105 phone service or online using Update My Report.

Information could also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.