Police have arrested two people and launched a homicide investigation after a man died in the Auckland suburb of Mt Wellington. Photo / Hayden Woodward
Police have arrested two people and launched a homicide investigation after a man died in the Auckland suburb of Mt Wellington. Photo / Hayden Woodward
EDITORIAL
Reading the news from the last few days, no one could blame Aucklanders for feeling a little worried.
A spate of violent crime has seen the words “Auckland” and “homicide” appear in sentences far more often than desired (to be clear, the desired number for that kind of thingis always zero).
In the last two weeks, there have been four separate killings in the Auckland City area. There appears to be no connection between any of them.
On August 24, Stephen Thorpe was stabbed and killed in Blockhouse Bay. His alleged killer, a 26-year-old man, was arrested less than a week later and has had his first appearance in court, where he was granted interim name suppression. Thorpe, from Coventry in England, was described as a quiet man who lived a simple life of routine and science. His senseless slaying came as a shock to anyone who knew him.
The next day, on September 1, Anthony Rangi was shot dead on Selwyn St, Onehunga. He was a patched member of the Black Power-affiliated gang Mangu Kaha. A man believed to be responsible for fatally shooting Rangi has had his first court appearance and police are not seeking anyone else in relation to the killing.
Last Thursday, September 5, Maxwel-Dee Repia was shot and killed on Tuarangi Rd, in the otherwise fairly sleepy suburb of Grey Lynn. He was only 18 years old.
Looking back further, another homicide in Pakuranga Heights on August 24 makes for five cases in Auckland within a month. Tuipulotu Vi was shot inside his courier van as he was leaving his home. The grandfather, who was also known as Saia, has been described as a kind, church-going man who doted on his grandchildren.
Aucklanders are understandably concerned. Residents of the “quiet and safe” suburb of Blockhouse Bay are terrified after Thorpe’s death.
“I thought this was a safe place. But when I heard about that incident on Saturday ... I was just so concerned about what’s happening,” a resident told the Herald.
“It’s such a lovely neighbourhood. It’s amazing,” another neighbour said. “But it’s really terrifying, especially considering you know, there are kids around, there’s a park here, and the kids walk around here all the time. It’s just really scary to think that it might not be safe.”
As Deputy Mayor of Auckland Desley Simpson said, while the figures are concerning, “I think we have to appreciate that police are dealing with the situation in all instances”.
Speaking after the Grey Lynn incident, which she described as “an appalling display of violence”, Simpson highlighted the fact that most of these incidents involve people known to each other.
“It wasn’t as if you had a random gunman going around shooting people they don’t know,” she said.
“Let’s face it, I can understand why Aucklanders are feeling a bit concerned. I just want to give them confidence, police are saying ‘please stay calm’ - they are asking Aucklanders to stay calm.”
Deputy Mayor of Auckland Desley Simpson. Photo / Jason Oxenham
University of Auckland criminologist Dr Ronald Kramer also told Herald reporter Raphael Franks that victims and perpetrators in homicide cases typically know each other.
He also said that, despite the figures, this is “probably not a pattern that’s going to repeat”.
“Most murders are people getting angry and kind of losing their s***. There’s something unpredictable about events like that,” Kramer said.
“When stuff like this happens, we draw attention to it and we worry about it. But the reality is I wouldn’t be afraid of this.
“It is just so statistically unlikely that anyone would be randomly murdered. The thing that is maybe more disturbing to people is that there is no way to control this kind of phenomenon.”
Having this many homicides in a short timeframe and so close to home for so many of us is unsettling. The geographic proximity to many of us taps into that feeling that “it could have been us”. But could it? Probably not. The likelihood of a truly random attack is very low.
While it is easy to let these incidents stay top of mind, the reality is that Tāmaki Makaurau is still, on a global scale, a safe place to live. Being vigilant is always a good idea but we must not let the fear of what could happen rule our lives.
