Yachtsmen Urge Police Patrols

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 394, 30 June 1928, Page 1

Yachtsmen Urge Police Patrols

REFUSAL PROTECTION FROM THIEVES

Auckland yachtsmen are perturbed by the refusal of the Minister of Justice, the Hon. F. J. Rolleston, to provide a special police patrol to safeguard pleasure craft from the thieves. Prominent aquatic men point out that police patrols are provided in nearly £-11 the large ports of the world. Auckland possessed, in proportion to her populath/i, many more craft than are found in other parts. Yachts and launches owned on the Waitemata are valued at approximately £150,000. Boatmen emphasise that no other property of such value ashore is left without police protection. Mr. C. J. Collings, commodore of the New Zealand Power-Boat Association,

is of opinion that the Minister is taking a wrong attitude. Robberies were taking place periodically and, as far as he could see, boatmen had no redress. The only alternative seemed to be that yachtsmen would have to provide their own pro-

tection. The various clubs might engage a permanent watchman. This had been done some years ago by the Power-Boat Association at its own expense with satisfactory results. The number of craft had increased greatly and the proposal now presented many difficulties on account of the wide area from Tamaki to Point Chevalier, over which boats were scattered. Mr. John Prater, Commodore of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, believes that the Minister is waiting until the boat harbour at St. Mary’s Bay is completed before taking action. He considers that while protection is an urgent necessity, the difficulty of patrolling a wide harbour can be readily understood. Mr. Frater hopes that the completion of the St. Mary’s Bay area will put an end to the difficulty. He suggests that all boats, as far as is practicable, should be aggregated in the bay. It would then be comparatively easy and inexpensive to w'atch and protect the craft there. In any case, some sort of patrol was necessary, even for the moral effect upon harbourside pillagers. Mr. George Winstone, junr., expressed the view that the Minister’s decision was appreciable, though disconcerting. The cost of a patrol would be a heavy expense. He favoured increased activity on the part of the existing waterfront police.