Waimate makes punishment swift for youth crimes

Waimate young people instantly do the time if they commit a crime under a new policy by the South Canterbury town's police.

Their punishments have already included picking up rubbish and scrubbing the footpath. A group were even sent to catch eels to help A and P show organisers.

On Tuesday, four 11-year-olds had a bike confiscated for two days and had to weed the gardens outside the police station. They were apprehended after a complaint they were racing around a block of the town's main street on the footpath without a cycle helmet.

"It would have been easy to write out a $75 fine for riding on the footpath and another $75 for not wearing a helmet, but their parents would pay," Sergeant Mike Van der Heyden said.

Instead, they were taken to the Waimate police station, their parents contacted and their punishment worked out.

"It's about making the kids accountable for what they do, not the parents," he said.

Not that there is major youth crime in the town. Sergeant Van der Heyden said most problems were petty crime by a small minority.

The new approach to youth policing started a couple of months ago when a constable apprehended a group of children throwing fireworks during Guy Fawkes.

The Waimate A and P show organisers needed eels for a Fear Factor competition, so the group of young offenders were sent out to catch them.

In some cases, the punishment is made to fit the crime.

One youth spitting in the main street was made to wash the footpath, much to the amusement of passers-by.

Another group "doing silly things" were each given a rubbish bag and sent along the main street to pick up rubbish.

Sergeant Van der Heyden said the approach would continue.

Before a punishment is handed out, parents are consulted and all have been supportive. The community is also supportive.

He said Waimate, as a small town, was in a position to adopt this approach.

It did not have a lot of serious crime and police had the time to oversee the punishments, which they may not be able to do in a bigger centre.

- OTAGO DAILY TIMES