Police were called to the McDonald's on Fenton St in Rotorua on Thursday. Photo / Ben Fraser
Police were called to the McDonald's on Fenton St in Rotorua on Thursday. Photo / Ben Fraser
A beggar punched a Rotorua McDonald’s manager twice in the back of the head as she tried to stop a fight in the drive-through, the restaurant’s franchisee says.
She fears for the safety of her staff as fights break out over the “lucrative” spot, where she estimates beggars may be making hundreds of dollars apiece.
McDonald’s Rotorua franchisee Linley Parry said a few months ago there was just one beggar at the end of the busy Fenton St restaurant’s drive-through but this had risen to sometimes four at a time.
They brought trolleys or sleeping bags, which she described as “props to prove they’re homeless”. She believed some may not be homeless.
The “lucrative” spot could deliver each as much as several hundred dollars a day, she estimated.
The problem had been made worse by customers giving them food and money, which she said people needed to stop as it was incentivising the begging.
Parry said in recent weeks there had been fights at least once a week between beggars “over who is allowed to be at the end of the driveway at a particular time”.
On Thursday morning, a man and a woman were yelling at and pushing each other in the drive-through.
Parry said the manager went out and asked them to leave. She was talking to the woman when the man came up behind her and punched the back of her head twice.
Rotorua McDonald's franchisee Linley Parry in 2018. Photo / NZME
Several staff went out to help her and police and Watchdog Security were called.
A spokesman said police responded to reports of a disorder involving several people at a Fenton St business about 7.40am. One person was arrested and charges were being considered.
Parry said both people had been trespassed from Rotorua’s three McDonald’s but this “means very little … they don’t care”.
Staff were shaken up and the manager spent a few hours getting medical attention and had a headache, sore jaw, and was “not 100 per cent”.
She said she was worried about the safety of her staff.
“It’s an enormous concern.”
She said the business had been speaking with the police, the council, Safe City Guardians, and others for months about problems with “little to no impact”.
“Unfortunately, our staff are dealing with this on a daily basis … they’re getting more frustrated about [in our view] no response, no changes, and no outcomes.”
Police were called to the McDonald's on Fenton St in Rotorua on Thursday. Photo / Ben Fraser
She said they wanted people to get the help they needed, but were “not convinced” support services were “doing enough”.
Parry acknowledged standing in front of the property on public land was allowed, and said she had been told those people’s human rights must be upheld.
“My staff have human rights as well and they should be able to be at work and operate in a safe environment … it’s just getting worse for my staff and customers.”
She said she knew police were busy but feared they were “under-resourced in our incredible city”.
“If we’re trying to clean this place up, we need some more numbers.”
Her husband, and co-franchisee, Rob Parry - who last year spoke out about having to hire full-time security for the Fenton Rd McDonalds – said they were “outraged” and “frustrated” this happened to their staff.
Figures released under the Official Information Act show Rotorua has 124 sworn police staff who can respond to callouts, but some are assigned to prevention tasks or investigations.
A police spokesman said police had talked to the restaurant’s owner and staff about the incidents and gave “advice and assistance with safety concerns”.
Police responded to a “significant volume” of a “wide range” of callouts across the community, and the priority was always emergencies and situations where people’s safety was at risk.
The role of police was to ensure everyone was and felt safe, “but we cannot do it alone”.
He said it had strong relationships with partner agencies like the council and supported initiatives like the council’s Safe City Guardians, who patrol the CBD.
Police would also support measures by private businesses to help ensure staff and customer safety.
Rotorua mayor Tania Tapsell said it was “incredibly frustrating that hardworking staff have been treated so poorly by those unwilling to work themselves”.
She said the council had prioritised safety initiatives “out of necessity”. As part of its Community Safety Plan, an inner-city safety hub was being established on Hinemoa St housing police officers, Safe City Guardians, and Māori Wardens.
She said the council was also refreshing its Safe City Guardian service and investing in more CCTV resources.
Council community and district development group manager Jean-Paul Gaston said the council was “sympathetic” to begging issues, but had limited powers to respond to anti-social and criminal behaviour.
Community safety was a “top priotity” with CCTV and foot patrol teams monitoring the CBD “continuously” and “often” trying to link people begging with support services.
Rotorua Lakes Council community and district development group manager Jean-Paul Gaston. Photo / Laura Smith
On public land, such as the pavement outside McDonald’s, he said, the council could remove signs held by beggars that would be in breach of the local signage bylaw.
Blocking the drive-through, however, would be a police matter.
“The issue of begging has been raised and is being considered as part of the wider Community Safety Plan. Any response to begging will need to be carefully considered and presented to elected members.”
Cira Olivier is a social issues and breaking news reporter for NZME Bay of Plenty. She has been a journalist since 2019.
