An outspoken east Auckland resident is calling on the public to do more to help prevent and solve crime in the local community.
Pakuranga man Dave Upfold is speaking out in the wake of the assault on a teenage schoolboy on a bus travelling through the suburb on June 28.
A woman is alleged to have yelled racial slurs at the boy, a Chinese New Zealander, before striking him with a pole.
Three of his teeth were knocked out and he suffered a large wound to his face.
Upfold is organising a public meeting on law and order to be held at 6.30pm on Friday, July 26, at St Peter’s Anglican Church, 71 Udys Road, Pakuranga, and all are welcome.
“People have had enough and you can hear it everywhere you go,” he says.
“This is not new but at the moment every day it’s getting worse.”
He says several decades ago in his native South Africa real estate agents became the “eyes and ears of the police” because they spent a lot of time driving around viewing properties.
“All they used to do was use old-fashioned cameras and if they saw something suspicious, take a photograph, and it worked.
“We’re not asking people to become vigilantes or heroes, but if you see something that looks suspicious, record it on your phone and give it to the police.
“If you see somebody stealing or breaking into a car, covertly take video or photos of it if you can and phone the police.
“I’m asking people to not wait days. Do it straight away. The information’s hot, you’ve got it, so give it to the police.
“There’s no committee, no Neighborhood Watch, it’s just concerned citizens who see something and record it. Give it to the police and wait for your report back.
“Unless we start doing something about it, nothing’s going to change.”
Upfold says following the assault on the boy on the bus in Pakuranga on June 28 he phoned Auckland Transport (AT) to express his concerns.
He told the agency his granddaughter, who regularly catches a bus, gets home at 10pm and she doesn’t feel safe on public transport.
“When I phoned AT this was the guy’s comment: “You must understand this is an isolated incident’.
“To which my reply was, ‘you know the first ram-raid? That was isolated incident’.
“Do we wait until it becomes a pandemic or do we try and assist and become the eyes and ears of the police?”
Upfold says if another east Auckland bus passenger is attacked, AT will need to consider having security guards on its buses.
An AT spokesperson previously said the agency is aware of the assault.
“We understand the bus operator has provided footage to police.
“All buses are fitted out with CCTV, GPS and panic buttons that record sound, connecting directly with the bus depot who can quickly respond and guide emergency services to intervene.”
People who want to support Upfold’s crime-prevention efforts can contact him on 021 453 202.
