A Te Kamo woman who uses a wheelchair to get around says she takes the Government's law and order promises with a grain of salt after a drunk man exposed himself to her in a brazen daytime incident in central Whangārei.
By Susan Botting for Local Democracy Reporting
Joanne Verryt was among about 25 people at a Whangārei public meeting on Thursday to hear Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith’s outline the Government’s law and order agenda, including potentially tougher penalties for assaults on frontline workers and expanded citizen arrest powers.
Goldsmith told those gathered the raft of changes were already making places such as Whangārei city safer.
But Verryt said she was encouraged by some of the Government proposals but she remained wary and was still too afraid to come into the city centre after the incident near Forum North in April.
The former Whangārei District Council disability action group chairwoman and her husband Shane Verryt were returning to their vehicle in a disabled car park after visiting the library when a drunken man approached them.
Before they knew it, he had straddled Joanne’s wheelchair, exposed himself and blocked their path, she said.
"I felt very intimidated."
Verryt, who experiences seizures when stressed, said she narrowly avoided having one.
"It was so totally unexpected."
She said husband Shane had become her "guard dog" whenever she visited the city centre.
Joanne and Shane, a member of the Kamo Volunteer Fire Brigade for 23 years, said they attended the meeting to hear more about the Government’s law and order changes and ensure Goldsmith heard her story.
"Minister Goldsmith gets to talk the talk. We’re the ones who have to walk the walk," Shane said.
Shane said he supported Government plans for tougher penalties for assaults on ambulance officers, firefighters and Corrections staff.
"We do end up with some very violent attitudes."
Shane said aggression towards firefighters had increased since Covid-19.
"There’s been more and more anxiety in the community. It’s not that we are responsible for any of that behaviour but we’re receiving it."
Shane also backed proposed changes to citizen arrest and detention laws, saying they may have prevented his wife’s ordeal.
He said the man who exposed himself had already come to the attention of Whangārei CitySafe staff earlier that day.
"If they’d had more powers to detain or arrest him, for whatever he had come to their attention for before he got to us, my wife wouldn’t have had to experience what she did."
A new bill introduced to Parliament this month is looking to give the public greater powers to make a citizen's arrest. (Source: 1News)
Under the Crimes Amendment Bill, citizen arrest provisions would be expanded to allow arrests at any time of day for any offence under the Crimes Act. The bill would also broaden powers to detain suspected offenders until police arrive.
Goldsmith also told the meeting the Government was considering extending tougher assault offences to other frontline occupations, including health workers, teachers and security guards.
Whangārei councillor Matt Yovich, who represents the district council on the CitySafe governance group, said he supported efforts to make areas such as the city centre safer.
Any future legislative changes affecting CitySafe operations would need to be considered by the governance group and council, he said.
CitySafe officers patrol Whangārei’s CBD daily and on weekend nights as part of the council-backed community safety service.
New Zealand Security Association board member and security company owner J.P. Dignon told Goldsmith stronger protections and greater arrest powers would benefit security workers, who often place themselves in harm’s way.
– LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
SHARE ME