Wickham knows how to nick 'em

Martin Wickham. Photo / Christine Meads

Crooks in Lower Hutt don't stand a chance against Martin Wickham, who has helped police make 14 burglary arrests in nine months.

Wickham, who works for Armourguard, was named Security Guard of the Year in Auckland on Friday night.

He had been nominated for his "on-the-job intuition" and for helping police stay one step ahead of burglars.

But he says it's all in a night's work, and he has been doing it for 18 years.

"I just do it because it's the right thing to do," he said.

Wickham's most notable "catch" was two men in the industrial area he patrols.

"I was driving around at about 1am and saw two guys walk out of a street. I thought, 'that's not right' and went around the corner, but by the time I got there they had disappeared. There was nowhere for them to have gone so I called police."

While waiting for police Wickham found the pair's vehicle.

"The police told me to wait by the car and all of a sudden these two guys come tearing around the corner. I challenged them and told them to sit down and empty their pockets.

"They pulled out a Swiss army knife and other bits and pieces ... but they were really compliant and they knew they'd been caught and there was nowhere they could go."

Wickham said he didn't often encounter crooks with weapons and generally felt safe in his work. He had no plans to change careers any time soon.

"I love the job," he said.