ON THE ROAD: The police tractor.
The Norwood Farm Machinery Centre, in conjunction with Wairarapa police, has secured use of the Police "Crime Prevention" Tractor from Monday.
The tractor was the brainchild of Inspector Paul Carpenter of Waikato police, who said the idea came from conversations at last year's National Fieldays at Mystery Creek. He said
the tractor attracted attention as it made its way around New Zealand.
"And that's exactly what the concept is all about: promoting the discussions, things like rural road deaths, drug activity on farms, personal safety, stock thefts, illegal hunting and existing partnerships such as the one we have with Crimestoppers and Federated Farmers with the 'Shut the Gate' campaign."
The tractor will be at the Norwood Farm Machinery Centre on the corner of High St and Ngaumutawa Rd in Masterton, except when visiting Gladstone School on Tuesday afternoon, and Fernridge School on Thursday afternoon. The Norwood Farm Machinery Centre will also host a crime prevention presentation on Wednesday for customers, but Sergeant Ian Osland and other police staff will be available during the week when the tractor is at Norwood's between 12pm and 2.30pm to discuss rural crime prevention advice and initiatives.
