Thread: Crackdown in Wairarapa

Just a reminder for the entitled...who wants to lose it all.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/3504...-hunt-poachers

All power to the right arm of the Police. We need more of this to catch and dissuade the idiots that poach.

Interesting that STUFF has used a photo of a band semi automatic centrefire rifle (my interpretation of the photo), just to add a bit of sensationalism to the news.

With the technology available at retail level, wouldn't it be a simple matter for the Community Watch Group to establish a network of motion activated cameras (game cameras or similar) on every rural intersection and one lane bridge, which actives to a cellphone? Once alerted, the home owner goes outside with a hand held thermal and scans the neighbourhood. Thermals will pick up the human form, or hot vehicle from miles away.

Instead of bleating after your fat arse sheep has bolted, be pro-active by building a fence at the top of the cliff, instead of a newspaper article at the bottom.

Well poachings naughty so why not show a naughty gun as well.
Photos from game cameras etc often are inadmissible even if its obvious whats gone on

Originally Posted by Marty Henry

Well poachings naughty so why not show a naughty gun as well.
Photos from game cameras etc often are inadmissible even if its obvious whats gone on

"Inadmissible!???" Marty that is an assumption on your part. Perhaps just give the information to "The Sheriff of Ngawi," then step back from the process!

Originally Posted by Hugh Shields

Interesting that STUFF has used a photo of a band semi automatic centrefire rifle (my interpretation of the photo), just to add a bit of sensationalism to the news.

With the technology available at retail level, wouldn't it be a simple matter for the Community Watch Group to establish a network of motion activated cameras (game cameras or similar) on every rural intersection and one lane bridge, which actives to a cellphone? Once alerted, the home owner goes outside with a hand held thermal and scans the neighbourhood. Thermals will pick up the human form, or hot vehicle from miles away.

Instead of bleating after your fat arse sheep has bolted, be pro-active by building a fence at the top of the cliff, instead of a newspaper article at the bottom.

There are some good tools now for sure. But the poachers have them too. Also the majority of farmers are not that keen on putting themselves in the path of potential violence, and sadly for all the talk of police being proactive. Try get one out of bed at 2 am when your local station isn't staffed at night.
This, from experience, means that the farmer has to go out themselves and confront the poachers and possibly hold them until the police do arrive.

Ill give you our scenario. Local station not manned, covered from a town 50 minutes away. Officer in bed has to get called, get up and dressed, drive to station and get firearm and car, then head on out. Thats approx 1.5 -2 hours of waiting with an offender or group of offenders.

Originally Posted by whanahuia

There are some good tools now for sure. But the poachers have them too. Also the majority of farmers are not that keen on putting themselves in the path of potential violence, and sadly for all the talk of police being proactive. Try get one out of bed at 2 am when your local station isn't staffed at night.
This, from experience, means that the farmer has to go out themselves and confront the poachers and possibly hold them until the police do arrive.

Ill give you our scenario. Local station not manned, covered from a town 50 minutes away. Officer in bed has to get called, get up and dressed, drive to station and get firearm and car, then head on out. Thats approx 1.5 -2 hours of waiting with an offender or group of offenders.

While I have no doubt that is all true it is better that police are doing it than not

This quote from the Stuff article shows why some people don't bother calling the cops, even when there is a "good" outcome it can be lacking.

In 2019, three men were found guilty of poaching a $11,500 trophy stag from a Masterton game reserve and were each ordered to complete 50 hours of community service and pay $2000 in reparations.

Originally Posted by 308

While I have no doubt that is all true it is better that police are doing it than not

As long as they follow through. Im dubious, as to be really serious will take alot of manpower and time, and historically this has been low priority. Case in point. Tom Phillips is spotted and they dont go investigate till next day. Thats a sign of lack of manpower.

The problem is that the police don't care about rural crime. We pay the same amount of tax as everyone else, but we are the first to be overlooked.

I had two poachers on camera at 2.30 am. I rang the police straight away and then went and stalked them. I found their vehicle and got a rego and was constantly updating them through 111 calls.

When the police finally had someone to come down the 40km road to get these guy's they decided to sit and wait in town for them. It was daylight by then. Anything could have happened though. They could have dumped the animals or gone a different way or potentially there could have been an altercation with myself and them if they realized I was watching them.

Luckily they were cut off and stopped in town with me following a distance behind them. I thought this would all be a simple process from here, but instead, it got really messy.

The police asked what I wanted, and I said definitely a prosecution and then said they would handle it from there and said I could leave. After three weeks of hearing nothing, I chased it up and no one knew anything
about it. I finally found out that morning they were never arrested and were let go and allowed to leave with the rifle that was found loaded in the van. Not only that the arms officer had followed up with them and gave them a formal warning and no prosecution or suspension of license.

I had to push the police hard to put it through court and we got there in the end. But it took about 15 months. They tried to recover the rifle afterwards but no luck. Only one of the guys had a firearms license and it belonged to the one who didn't have a license.

After all of that, one of them was discharged without conviction and had already been caught poaching in the past. He also never lost his license. The other guy got a $150 fine.

The whole process was a mess and a waste of time and resources. Wairarapa police were incompetent, the arms officer letting them off with a warning was a joke and clearly the judge couldn't have cared less.





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Wairarapa acting police community and rural manager Sergeant Nick Bunny

Reasonable to expect Sgt Bunny to be concerned about poaching.

I would have thought taking sheep or any other stock is theft (hopefully with some Arms Act offence as a spice), not poaching - what does the Crimes Act have to say about it?

Originally Posted by brad

The problem is that the police don't care about rural crime. We pay the same amount of tax as everyone else, but we are the first to be overlooked.

I had two poachers on camera at 2.30 am. I rang the police straight away and then went and stalked them. I found their vehicle and got a rego and was constantly updating them through 111 calls.

When the police finally had someone to come down the 40km road to get these guy's they decided to sit and wait in town for them. It was daylight by then. Anything could have happened though. They could have dumped the animals or gone a different way or potentially there could have been an altercation with myself and them if they realized I was watching them.

Luckily they were cut off and stopped in town with me following a distance behind them. I thought this would all be a simple process from here, but instead, it got really messy.

The police asked what I wanted, and I said definitely a prosecution and then said they would handle it from there and said I could leave. After three weeks of hearing nothing, I chased it up and no one knew anything
about it. I finally found out that morning they were never arrested and were let go and allowed to leave with the rifle that was found loaded in the van. Not only that the arms officer had followed up with them and gave them a formal warning and no prosecution or suspension of license.

I had to push the police hard to put it through court and we got there in the end. But it took about 15 months. They tried to recover the rifle afterwards but no luck. Only one of the guys had a firearms license and it belonged to the one who didn't have a license.

After all of that, one of them was discharged without conviction and had already been caught poaching in the past. He also never lost his license. The other guy got a $150 fine.

The whole process was a mess and a waste of time and resources. Wairarapa police were incompetent, the arms officer letting them off with a warning was a joke and clearly the judge couldn't have cared less.





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Take your story to your MP. He's a rural bloke.

Originally Posted by brad

The problem is that the police don't care about rural crime. We pay the same amount of tax as everyone else, but we are the first to be overlooked.

I had two poachers on camera at 2.30 am. I rang the police straight away and then went and stalked them. I found their vehicle and got a rego and was constantly updating them through 111 calls.

When the police finally had someone to come down the 40km road to get these guy's they decided to sit and wait in town for them. It was daylight by then. Anything could have happened though. They could have dumped the animals or gone a different way or potentially there could have been an altercation with myself and them if they realized I was watching them.

Luckily they were cut off and stopped in town with me following a distance behind them. I thought this would all be a simple process from here, but instead, it got really messy.

The police asked what I wanted, and I said definitely a prosecution and then said they would handle it from there and said I could leave. After three weeks of hearing nothing, I chased it up and no one knew anything
about it. I finally found out that morning they were never arrested and were let go and allowed to leave with the rifle that was found loaded in the van. Not only that the arms officer had followed up with them and gave them a formal warning and no prosecution or suspension of license.

I had to push the police hard to put it through court and we got there in the end. But it took about 15 months. They tried to recover the rifle afterwards but no luck. Only one of the guys had a firearms license and it belonged to the one who didn't have a license.

After all of that, one of them was discharged without conviction and had already been caught poaching in the past. He also never lost his license. The other guy got a $150 fine.

The whole process was a mess and a waste of time and resources. Wairarapa police were incompetent, the arms officer letting them off with a warning was a joke and clearly the judge couldn't have cared less.





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Yep understand you. We lost 70 in lamb or freshly lambed ewes one night too a poachers dogs. Caught him ourselves and dealt suitably with the dogs. He was convicted and reparations payable at something stupid like $9 a week.
Each week it was like a slap in the face when that money came through.

The kicker, we caught him again with some of his mates, and he suddenly lump sum payed what was owed before the next court appearance.

Oh the kicker I nearly forgot about. When we caught him the first time he had a gun in his hand. Naievly we ordered him to jump in the car and when he got out at the house I took the gun off him as he informed me he didnt have a licence. Handed it to police later and the cop clears it and too my shock it had a round in the chamber. I just never thought he'd be walking round with it loaded. Very silly of me.
next time we caught him he had a crossbow.

Originally Posted by whanahuia

Yep understand you. We lost 70 in lamb or freshly lambed ewes one night too a poachers dogs. Caught him ourselves and dealt suitably with the dogs. He was convicted and reparations payable at something stupid like $9 a week.
Each week it was like a slap in the face when that money came through.

The kicker, we caught him again with some of his mates, and he suddenly lump sum payed what was owed before the next court appearance.

Yeah it seems like the punishments don't deter people. I doubt that would change unless it happens in the judges back yard

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