Letters: Lions match spectacle a huge disappointment

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As patrons who bought tickets to the Miller Stand at the Maori-Lions game we feel we were ripped off. With the price of a ticket at $99 one expected to get a great view of the field but this wasn't the case.

The seats, located at the eastern end of the pitch, were barely two metres off the ground and in row D one's view was obstructed by the advertising boards, the pyro boxes, the Lions reserves pacing up and down, and the burly security personnel positioned alongside the goalposts.

If the Lions hadn't played so much of the rugby in the first half in the fat man's track (where props usually prowl) we would have had no idea what the heck was going on - just like when Maori No. 8, Liam Messam scored at the far end.

The screen was immediately behind us and next to useless given its purpose. And as for the second half we saw pretty much nothing at all except for the doll-sized figurines in the far mist. As a spectacle the night was a huge disappointment not withstanding the drizzle. Yep, no way did we get value for money and won't be going back to live rugby ever!

HAMUERA MITCHELL
Rotorua

It is unacceptable that Indian immigrants are being victimised in Rotorua. Hindu dairy owners and Sikh liquor outlet owners have become the target of walk-in robberies aggravated by violence.

The perpetrators are a relatively small number of adolescents who have no respect for others' safety, property and businesses.

Rotorua urgently needs a prevention strategy. I suggest that the police and council co-ordinate an action research programme to build community policing capacities. It will need seven steps to achieve the deep cultural change needed.

Map the problem by engaging and clarifying many stakeholder views, interests and values. Define the problem in context by tracing antecedents, causes and effects. Research wider knowledge of policies and practices. Gather and evaluate the consequences of optional strategies.

Then have elected representatives select a combination of feasible, beneficial, plausible and educational interventions for funding. Empower a team to take planned action to achieve measurable outcomes. Use the measures to evaluate outcomes in order to celebrate and improve the programme.

We need such an approach to honour our immigrant communities. They are typically model citizens, working extremely hard to earn their prosperity. We should respect their self sufficiency, their sense of family duty and the wealth creation they achieve in our community.

They deserve law and order. Anything less and we are all the poorer. In sum, could it be time for a police-coordinated taskforce for public safety?

[ABRIDGED]
REYNOLD MACPHERSON
Rotorua