Ross vows to fight for station

Ross folk are outraged over the removal tomorrow of the town’s police constable and have vowed to take their concerns right to the Prime Minister.
Ross Community Association chairman Charlie McBeath said although they had successfully challenged for the reinstatement of a police presence in the past, he felt that this time it would be “a bigger battle”.
“It is all about government cost cutting, but we will be making submissions for retention to John Key, the Minister of Police and the Police Commissioner.
“It is a pretty short-sighted idea. From 11pm the police phones in Hokitika are switched to Greymouth, so if police have to come from Greymouth it is not 10 minutes away (as police have said),” Mr McBeath said.
“With the road at the Totara bridge prone to flooding in the past, the geography of the place could mean that the police can’t get down from Hokitika. There is also no cellphone coverage in Ross (so) the closure of the police communication channel is another link with the outside world that we will have lost.”
Westland district councillor Kyle Scott said it was “of vital importance” that members of the Ross and Harihari communities turned out in force to attend a public meeting in Ross on Monday night to show support for the retention of “this essential community service.”
West Coast police area commander Inspector John Canning will be in attendance. Mr McBeath said he was disappointed that although the position of the Ross community constable would be transferred to Hokitika, current incumbent constable Adam Roberts was leaving to another post in Southland. That meant Hokitika would effectively be two officers down since there had still been no replacement for constable Clint Wright, who left Hokitika earlier in the month.
Officer in charge at Greymouth, senior sergeant Allyson Ealam said both vacancies had been advertised nationally and the force was at present “back-filling” from Greymouth to cover the shortfall.
After four years as the sole police presence in Ross, Mr Roberts said he was “sad” to leave the Coast to take up general police duties in Gore.
Mr Roberts, who began his policing career in Auckland, said his time in Ross had presented the most challenging role he had undertaken in the police but it was also the most rewarding.
“The greatest challenge is that it is only you. The home is attached to the police station so no matter what day of the week it is or what time it is, if you are home, you are available. It has been very hard on the family, especially the kids, having to share dad with the job.”
Working in a rural environment meant having to show a more personal approach to policing, he said.
“The most rewarding thing is having to get involved in situations and helping to defuse them and helping people get through difficult situations.”
Hokitika Community Patrol secretary Derek Blight said it was hard to know at this stage if there would be any increase in patrol duties around Ross once constable Roberts left his post.
“The community patrol are more going to areas they are directed to by the police on duty at that time.
“They go where the police would like them to go and where they see a particular need for them, whether that is in Ross, Kumara, Kaniere or Hokitika,” Mr Blight said.