2022 The year in review....
2022 ‘THE YEAR THAT WAS’
The lack of posts on this blog in 2022 is a fairly good indicator of how busy the year was for the team at RUSEC. A look back at the year that was….
Rural Security
For our Rural services team, it was business as usual throughout the year with a particularly mad ‘flurry’ of incidents noted in the period of October to December.
A sharp rise in fuel and stock theft took place during this period. There are obvious links to an increase in fuel and food prices at the pump and supermarkets that could be motivating this but anecdotal evidence also exists that points toward ‘money for drug’ scenarios i.e. stolen goods are sold or exchanged for drugs.
Methamphetamine – a scourge on rural communities
Methamphetamine is a scourge on all society particularly our small, rural communities. The prevalence in Class A drugs and all of the underbelly type culture it attracts are possibly felt more acutely in small rural communities where a relative peace once prevailed. From what we’re seeing, the landscape has definitely changed.
It will take a concerted effort to try and get things back to some semblance of order. Better levels of understanding and coordination between stakeholders will be key to this. Of course, the lead agency charged with this responsibility is the NZ Police but it is not their burden to bear alone. Communities, District Councils, neighbourhood support groups and private security companies like RUSEC all have a part to play in deterring, detecting and preventing rural crime. Good gains and initiatives implemented in some Policing Districts need to be mirrored in other Districts, especially where resources present a challenge.
General Security
“Ram raids” dominate the news
Ram raids are not a new phenomenon in NZ but their recent “spike’ in occurrences seems to be dragging on. Time will tell whether these incidents are just a flash in the pan trend or are here to stay for an indefinite period. For those who keep a finger on the pulse of overseas crime trends, the later seems more likely.
Images of offenders smashing their way into shops by various means are not only recorded by CCTV but by the offenders themselves and one has to wonder, are we once again seeing the ‘fruits’ of social media being used to negatively expedite the onset of crime? The answer to that question seems to be a resounding “yes”.
The speed and efficacy with which criminal acts can be planned and executed is only limited by the speed at which information can travel through cyberspace.
There is a myriad of reasons why ram raids are being committed with no quick fix answers to any of them.
What should be a relatively quick fix (the hardening of premises with the likes of bollards and fog cannons) is apparently being stalled by red tape, supply issues and a lack of resources. Let’s hope these issues get resolved soon to prevent others from becoming victims.
On the horizon
RUSEC continues to be shoulder tapped for site security assessments. Threats to critical infrastructure and heavily populated environments are no longer the domain of far off places.
The recent Court conviction of a Taupo man on charges of Sabotage (the first of its kind in NZ), the Christchurch Mosque attacks and stabbings at Countdown Supermarkets are clear examples that Terrorism and other similar threats to National Security do exist within our borders.
NZ Police and NZSIS initiatives such as the Crowded Places Strategy and Protective Security Requirements are designed to mitigate the risk of Terrorist type events in this country and RUSEC stands ready to support this by way of its “Elevated Risks Program”
In conclusion, it’s been a very busy year for team RUSEC with 2023 shaping up to be more of the same. Here’s hoping you and yours have a great, safe and prosperous year and remember….”LETS BE CAREFUL OUT THERE ! “