Selwyn Times: January 25, 2023

• By Tony Simons
AN ORGANISED group of
unofficial police intelligence
gatherers has been formed in
the Cass Bay – Governors Bay
area to help police intercept
drivers for ‘anti-social’ driving
behaviour.
It has contributed to nine
different drivers and car owners
being dealt with over the past
five months for a number of
driving offences, including doing
burnouts and skids, as well as
failing to give information to police.
Several cars have also been
impounded.
The informal group was
formed after a meeting
between police, bay residents
and community leaders about
how best to deal with bad
driver behaviour in the area,
particularly between Lyttelton
and Governors Bay.
A member, Cass Bay resident
Scott Adams, said he knew of
six cars stopped near Rāpaki
for excessive noise, which were
probably intercepted as a result
of information the group had
provided.
Sergeant Anna Partridge said
it was a challenge putting a stop
to speeding and noisy driving
because police didn’t have the
resources to patrol all the time
and, by the time locals report an
incident, the perpetrators have
often moved on.
The partnership
with locals gathering
information to send
to police “helps us see
patterns so we can take
appropriate action” at the
best times, she said.
“We thank locals for
their help, which has
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Anna
Partridge
allowed police to obtain
sufficient evidence to
impound and green sticker
vehicles. (It’s) building
trust and confidence with
the local community.”
Said Adams: “The boyracer
problem has probably
got worse since the Evans
Pass to Lyttelton Rd was
reopened and lockdown was
lifted.”
It was a problem all the way
from Sumner to Lyttelton to
Dyers Pass and Gebbies Pass,
with drivers treating the roads
like a race track, he said.
Said Partridge: “The harbour
basin also acts a bit like an
auditorium, with driving
noise amplified around the
hills, making it a particular
problem.”
Police recognised the distress
the behaviour caused the
Wednesday January 25 2023 Selwyn Times
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Residents help police combat speedsters
TEAM UP: An informal group of residents has formed to
help police intercept anti-social drivers in the Cass Bay –
Governors Bay area.
community and said the number
of prosecutions sent a clear
message that anti-social driving
would not be tolerated.
Several other vehicles have also
been identified and are still
being actively being sought by
police.
Anyone with information
that could assist in identifying
those involved can contact police
on 105, or give information
anonymously through Crime
Stoppers on 0800 555 111. Police
also welcome 111 calls.