Dialogue: Zero tolerance beats beach burglars

By TONY GEE

Bad publicity is something a tourist region doesn't need as it struggles for national and international recognition with tourist dollars to match.

The northern Far North, known to residents north of the Mangamuka Ranges as the Real Far North, is always particularly sensitive to what the local community sees as negative publicity resulting from the actions of a minority of its citizens.

There has been plenty of potential for poor public imaging of the district by media, politicians and - also importantly - through word of mouth among visitors and tourists who have had their Far North experience ruined by petty thieves and burglars.

It was hugely refreshing, therefore, to learn this week that a prime range of far northern attractions, its multitude of magnificent and isolated near-pristine beaches, have been restored to virtual crime-free areas largely thanks to a Kaitaia-based local business community and tourism industry effort.

Thefts from cars and campervans left unattended in remote beach car parks had assumed major proportions two summers ago when 54 thefts from vehicles parked at beaches were reported to police during the summer period.

No nationality was spared as thieves, some of them out-of-towners stealing to order for customers "down the line," simply smashed vehicle windows in deserted beach parks and helped themselves to tens of thousands of dollars worth of cash, traveller's cheques, cameras, electronic goodies, credit cards, passports, clothing, diving and sports gear.

The damage inflicted on the image of the Far North as a friendly and hospitable tourism destination must have been significant, especially overseas, as Germans, Japanese, Chinese, Swiss, Americans, Britons and Canadians all returned to their home countries with horror stories from Far North beaches.

Belated signs did appear in some areas warning visitors to lock their vehicles, which was no deterrent to determined thieves, and suggesting that no items of value should be left in unattended cars or campervans.

But many beachgoers simply didn't get the message - and suffered.

Enter Senior Constable Brian Camplin of the Kaitaia police and a dedicated band of sponsors and supporters.

Their TEAM scheme (Tourist Enjoyment a Must) with its groups of tourist "ambassadors" stationed in and around selected car parks - armed only with goodwill, sunhats, cellphones, notebooks and pamphlets in a number of languages - met immediate success in drastically reducing the number of reported break-ins to parked vehicles.

Only four incidents were recorded last summer.

This summer only one car break-in has been reported, and that was after ambassadors had left the Te Paki Stream for the day.

Popular beaches targeted by the scheme's eight ambassadors for surveillance include Waipapakauri Ramp, Shipwreck Bay and Ahipara - all on Ninety Mile Beach - and Matai Bay, Karikari, Puheke and Rarawa on the east coast.

The fact that thieves appear to have stayed away in droves this year, even when the Winz-employed or contract ambassadors were not on the job, appears to be because the watchers changed their daily surveillance routines to avoid setting a noticeable pattern.

Another contributing factor was the noting by ambassadors of registration numbers of "suspicious" vehicles suddenly appearing and departing from car parks in remote areas.

This resulted in police visits to a number of addresses identified through vehicle registration where people were known to police for previous dishonest activity. Word gets around quickly in the thieving business.

But Constable Camplin and others know that the tourist watching scheme will continue to be successful in preventing crime and raising an image only so long as it has community and tourist industry sponsors.

The Far North District Council has been the biggest sponsor. Regional tourism organisation Destination Northland and an associated regional council company, Business Grow Trust, have all given dollars.

A Kaitaia motorcycle company has provided quad bikes for ambassadorial transport around beaches, and a surfcasting club on Ninety Mile Beach loaned one dedicated woman ambassador a camper van in which to house herself on station at Waipapakauri Ramp.

But more will be needed next summer when the Tai Tokerau Maori Tourism Board, likely future operator of the scheme, takes over.

The board will be looking hard for support and sponsorship from organisations and businesses with a stake in the Far North's tourist industry.

Those involved must see the national and international value of a theft-free environment at enticing but isolated beach locations.

If they don't, a major Far North attraction will again descend into the domain of an uncaring criminal element which will quickly resume an unchallenged regime of thievery in splendid coastal isolation, promoting a return to that negative publicity so disliked in the north.