Park fears raised at meeting after sex crime

Residents who live near Cornwall Park voiced their frustration about crime and youth trouble at a public meeting last night. Photo/Warren Buckland

Residents, police and community leaders gathered in Cornwall Park last night to discuss neighbourhood support programmes following a sexual assault on a teenage girl in the Hastings park this month.

The attack on the 14-year-old, who was walking through the park on the night of December 1, prompted the meeting at the Cornwall Cricket Pavilion, which was attended by 45 nearby residents. They vented frustration at crime taking over the park.

Sergeant Andrew Graham said he could see a lot of passion and concern about the behaviour that had been witnessed in the neighbourhood and park at night.

"There's all sorts of people that use this park and we need to work collaboratively to make it safe. It's about working together, we need people to keep phoning police when there is an incident. If residents continue to phone us we can plan a response and deploy the necessary staff," he said.

"We are not encouraging vigilante groups but we want people to support the neighbourhood and their fellow neighbours."

A number of residents said they were pleased with the police response to incidents in the neighbourhood, however one resident said he was still "pissed off" with the behaviour plaguing the park.

"To walk into the street at night, you're putting yourself at risk and there are a lot of elderly people that live around the park," he said.

He called for a youth curfew to be enforced. However, Mr Graham said that would only present a number of legal problems.

Hastings district councillor Sandra Hazlehurst said she was greatly encouraged to see the community working together.

"People need to have a presence in the park, that will be a powerful tool. This is ours and our beautiful place. We need to take ownership of this place, this park is a fantastic part of our city and we just want to make it safe for everyone."

She said the council would consider implementing an alcohol ban for Cornwall Park if the community was "agreeable".

Another resident blamed the council's tactics of "emptying" the CBD of "hoons", which had forced young people into suburban parks: "They've come here after council wanted them out of town. They are looking for a place to go and start trouble."

Hastings District Council security manager Merv Dudley said his personnel regularly patrolled Cornwall Park and were always "moving people along".

Ideas raised to improve park security included improved lighting, security cameras, removal of foliage and "locking" the park at night. However, residents were largely split on the practicality of such ideas.

Hastings District councillor Henare O'Keefe said he understood the frustration and empathised but felt a deeper social issue needed addressing.

"Unfortunately, there is a group of parents in this country who are just not capable of being what a parent should be. Many of these children who spend their nights in the park don't have the luxury of three square meals a day, parents, a roof over their heads, and we need to understand that. I am not condoning any of these recent actions, or making any excuses but there is a problem that will take two, three generations to fix."

He said the solution "lies with the community" and the "people".