Survey is positive policing

One of the key components of successful policing is gaining the trust of the wider community and, with that in mind, it's good to see the steps being taken in Gonville to try to reduce the suburb's crime rate.

Wanganui's neighbourhood policing team is close to completing a community survey of issues identified by Gonville residents, before beginning to implement plans designed to empower the community.

The early signs are good, particularly given the team was introduced following a successful two-year trial of neighbourhood policing teams in Counties-Manukau.

By addressing the issues raised specifically by residents, police will go a long way towards building a more harmonious and importantly, more crime-free, community.

After all, despite the best efforts of police and community organisations, it's only the residents of an area who really know what goes on among the people who inhabit it.

The survey has already identified an issue with disorder and youth matters, including young people roaming the streets without supervision. Addressing this problem will not only pay dividends immediately, but may also break the cycle which for some leads to a career of crime later in life.

Important too, is the ability of a scheme like this to foster trust and understanding from the Gonville community towards the police. Police often get a hard time from the public, and sometimes the media, but for the most part they're a hard-working group of people committed to making our country safer.

Anything that reinforces that message has to be seen as a positive.

There's been an outpouring of tributes and memories ever since news broke over the weekend of the death of Wellington's notorious "Blanket Man", Ben Hana.

Mr Hana, 54, was a homeless man well known for wearing a blanket and a loincloth, who was often seen sitting or lying against buildings or shops in the capital's CBD.

Mr Hana died in Wellington Hospital on Sunday afternoon, and since his death, messages have been scrawled on a wall and flowers, candles and other items have been left in Courtenay Place, where he used to sit.

His lawyer yesterday claimed Mr Hana suffered from medical problems from heavy alcohol use and malnutrition.

Reports suggest Mr Hana enjoyed his rough-living lifestyle.

However, it's hard not to wonder whether if some of the people that were so keen to eulogise Mr Hana in death had shown the same sort of interest in his well-being while he was alive, perhaps he may have got himself the help he desperately needed.

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