Whangārei shared pathway users feel unsafe despite CCTV surveillance

Some commuters on the Whangārei Shared Pathway say they feel unsafe despite increased surveillance. Photo / Avneesh Vincent

Several users of a Whangārei off-road walk and cycleway feel that the shared pathway is unsafe to travel on, despite added surveillance.

Last month, a witness who had been on the shared pathway between Kensington and Whangārei Girls’ High School reported seeing two teenagers allegedly push an elderly man off his electric bike, laugh and run away. Police are continuing to make inquiries into the reported assault.

Northland pedestrians and cyclists who spoke to the Advocate said the recent incident didn’t surprise them.

Whau Valley resident Kathryn Toevai said she often avoids the Ōtangarei end of the pathway due to personal experience.

Last year her house was broken into, for the second time, and the perpetrators had used the shared pathway as an accessway.

While the camera surveillance did help to identify the five offenders who broke into her property, only one was apprehended.

“We thought coming to Whangārei was a great move. But these bad experiences have made me change my mind,” Toevai said.

“Since then, we have installed our own security cameras and electric fence to discourage intruders from entering.”

Toevai said the shared pathway was a great initiative, but felt that it could have more active patrolling to prevent crime.

Cyclist John Jonker, who uses the pathway almost daily, had his list of grievances.

“Firstly, there is far too much rubbish thrown by school kids. I constantly see them throwing stuff on the pathway after eating,” Jonker said.

“Then there are times when kids put stones on the cycleway from the nearby railway track. You have to watch out for those, especially when you’re on a push bike.”

John Jonker says rubbish and stones thrown by kids on the pathway were a real disturbance and hazard for push bikers. Photo / Avneesh Vincent

Destruction of fences along the pathway was another annoyance.

Jonker said he would often encounter dogs off their leashes, which was “really dangerous” for any cyclist. When possible, he advised people to put their dogs on a leash to avoid any future incidents.

“Otherwise, I enjoy the part of pushbiking along the track,” he said.

Whangārei resident Syuri Satona, who has been using the pathway for two weeks, said that there were times when she felt unsafe.

A week ago, she had seen some kids trying to act tough with a cyclist who had only asked them not to sit on broken fences.

“There was nothing physical, but their rude behaviour was quite aggressive.”

Another resident, Ingrid Kuindersma, recalled an anecdotal incident when some kids beat up her colleague’s son on the walkway. However, she did not experience any “unsafe incident”.

In July 2021, the Advocate reported how a Whangārei Intermediate School student had her head stomped on more than five times by an unknown teenager as she walked along the shared path towards Manse St.

The Kamo shared path between Manse St and Kensington Ave. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Since then, the council has ramped up its surveillance and installed 51 cameras along the 5.6km stretch of the Kamo Shared Pathway (KSP). Thirteen of them could pan, tilt and zoom while the rest were static cameras.

Whangārei councillor Scott McKenzie said he understands that there have been isolated incidents on the pathway but had not got any feedback on it being notorious for crime.

While he felt for those who had bad experiences, McKenzie thanked people who took a stand and looked out for others.

“I generally get very positive feedback about the shared path network.”

McKenzie said that it was designed with the Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles to mitigate the crime as much as possible.

The CPTED focuses on things like passive surveillance, clear sightlines, good lighting and no places for people to hide.

“We know that the network is extremely well used. And the more people use it, the safer it is,” he said.

Residents like Norton Allen agreed. As someone who has been using the pathway five times a month for five years, he felt safe using it every time.

A couple of other users who wanted to remain anonymous shared Allen’s opinion.

The council’s community safety officer David Palmer believes while the presence of cameras discourages bad behaviour, it will “never eliminate it entirely”.

Palmer said they also have CitySafe Community Officers patrolling the KSP before and after school on weekdays to observe and report any incidents.

Police said in a statement that they were working closely with the council to ensure the public enjoyed a safe space without fearing for their safety.

Although police were yet to comment on the number of crimes captured on cameras, officers felt that the overall surveillance provided reassurance to most commuters.

Police say that any offending sighted should be reported immediately by dialling 111.

Avneesh Vincent is the crime and emergency services reporter at the Northern Advocate. He was previously at the Gisborne Herald as the arts and environment reporter and is passionate about covering stories that can make a difference. He joined NZME in July 2023.