Police take 'eye off ball' in P investigations

Experienced police admit officers no longer know who is dealing methamphetamine in the Western Bay of Plenty after taking their "eye off the ball" when it comes to tackling the drug problem.

The officers warn that serious crime across the region will continue to increase if the upsurge in P use is not halted.

There have been seven aggravated robberies in seven weeks, the latest being a pizza delivery worker who was violently beaten in Greerton on Monday night.

Police investigating the crimes say a common link is methamphetamine, also known as P, and some officers say the drug and serious crimes surrounding its use are not being addressed effectively.

In the latest drugs bust, police found chemicals used for making P in a Welcome Bay house last week. Two men in their 20s have been arrested and charged with possession of precursor substances.

But police admit uncovering methamphetamine labs was no longer a top priority.

In 2002, 15 labs were discovered by police in Bay of Plenty. That number rose to 19 in 2003 but has since dropped off to 16 last year and five so far this year. The same trend has occurred nationally.

Police Association regional director for Bay of Plenty Mel Ridley said police needed more staff to focus specifically on organised crime and drugs.

He was not able to explain why there had been a jump in aggravated crimes but said the underlying factor was P.

"Meth is a growing problem. We've taken our eye off the ball in that area."

A decade ago a dozen staff were dedicated to investigating organised crime in Bay of Plenty with drug squads in Tauranga and Rotorua.

But those squads no longer exist. Instead, police teams target high-volume crimes such as theft from cars, theft of cars and burglary.

However, a new specialist police team to focus on organised crime in the region is scheduled to start in January next year.

An extra five staff will hit the beat in Bay of Plenty early next year to deal with emergencies and investigations -- a move welcomed by Bay of Plenty district commander Superintendent Gary Smith.

"Any additional resources are good news. Organised crime is a priority area and the squad will complement what we already have," Mr Smith previously said.

But while Mr Ridley said the new squad would help, it was nowhere near adequate to deal with the P problem that existed.

"Police just don't have the knowledge about who is dealing in drugs like we used to."

Where police had staff dedicated to specific strategies like the highway patrol units for reducing road trauma, there had been significant results. Mr Ridley said the same approach needed to be taken with P if police were to stop its spread and the increase in serious crimes.

Police Association president Greg O'Connor said drugs was an area of policing that was not being addressed because it was too expensive. "But in the end it will cost the community dearly," he said.

Former head of Auckland's organised crime squad, Detective Sergeant Daryl Brazier, now based in Tauranga, said P was a factor in a "hell of a lot of crimes" that police were called to on a day-to-day basis.

Mr Brazier said in Auckland, P had been a factor in all serious crimes and that trend was now being seen in the Western Bay of Plenty.

Mr Brazier headed the Auckland Organised Crime Squad for 11 years and launched the first police operation targeting P manufacturers and distributors.

Gangs generally controlled the drug scene and had people manufacturing the drug for them, he said.

The spread of P had cut across all sectors of society.

"People see it as a recreational drug but they don't understand the implications of using it," Mr Brazier said.

One gram of P had a street value of $1000 and on average a casual user could consume half a gram of P a week. People often turned to crime to fund their habit.

Police Minister George Hawkins was not in a position to comment on police staffing levels in the Western Bay or the way they were addressing serious crimes, his press secretary Allen Walley said.

Attempts by the Bay of Plenty Times to get comment from the Office of the Commissioner before the paper went to print were not successful.

- BAY OF PLENTY TIMES