John MacDonald: Police in police stations don't stop crime

I think the people of Hornby are pushing it uphill with this campaign of theirs to get their local police station operating 24-hours-a-day again.

They’re obviously more optimistic than me, though, because they’ve got a petition going and they're going to be presenting it to police metro commander Lane Todd when he fronts up to a public meeting tonight.

There’s no denying the fact that crime in Hornby - like pretty much everywhere - is up.

The stats for Hornby, in particular, tell the story.  Year-on-year, thefts and burglaries have increased by 80 percent.

And it seems that two ram raids at the Hub mall have been the breaking point for people in the area. Which is why they’ve got the petition going and why they’re having this meeting tonight.

Very shortly I’ll talk with Marc Duff who is chairman of the Greater Hornby Residents’ Association.

He’s saying today that the people in Hornby don’t feel they’ve got the level of policing they should - given the ram raids, but also because of things like anti-social behaviour on the roads and theft. As I say, thefts and burglaries in Hornby are up 80 percent.

So the police will go to tonight’s meeting. And Lane Todd, in particular, will listen and say a few words. And, if you’ve never met Lane, he is actually one of those old-school cops and a very good guy.

I first met him in the mid-90s when I was working in North Otago and he was one of the local cops there. So he’s a good bloke and now he’s in charge of the police in the Christchurch city area.

So he’ll be there tonight and maybe a few people will have some strong opinions but Lane will keep his cool and, at the end of the night, the organisers will thank him for coming and there might even be a bit of a clap at the end. You know, the old, ‘let’s show a bit of appreciation for Lane coming along tonight’.

And everyone will go home - but nothing will change. The police station won’t be re-opened and I don't think that will be such a bad thing.

Because I don’t think the Hornby police station should be open 24-hours-a-day. That’s because I don’t think it would stop people committing crimes.

Now before you say, ‘oh that’s alright for him, he doesn’t live in Hornby. This doesn’t affect him.’

Well, you can say that if you want - and you wouldn't be wrong in some respects. But there’s a police station not too far from where we live - and this one is open 24 hours-a-day.

And guess what? I don’t think it makes one bit of difference. I go past there on the way to work in the morning and the lights are on. I drive past again on the way home in the afternoon and I might see the odd person leaving - obviously at the end of their shift.

And then sometimes I’ll see a patrol car heading out the gate and screaming off down the road with the lights going. But, other than that, I’d hardly know anyone was there.

Which is why I think the Police doing what the people of Hornby want them to do, and having the local station staffed day and night, I don’t think it would make any difference.

What would make a difference, though, is Police being more visible on the streets.  

Not sitting in an office - be it in Hornby or Sydenham or the centre of town. No, what would make the kind of difference the people of Hornby and everyone else wants, is more of our cops cruising around in their patrol cars and - dare I say it - out on the beat.

Because even if they're sitting in a police station in your part of town, you still can’t see them. Like I say - there’s a police station not far from us, but it’s only when I see them out on the streets that it makes any difference in terms of reassurance or feeling like they’ve got an eye on what’s going on.

And the exact same thing could be achieved whether they were based in my part of town or not.

And that is why I think the people of Hornby should be telling Lane Todd tonight th