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“Can I have your Taser?” a Whangaparāoa College students casually asks the police officers patrolling his school at lunchtime on Thursday.
Sergeant Jon Williams, who leads the Youth Aid section for the Rodney area, and the student share a laugh over the request.
Later, a student playing basketball accidentally bumps into Constable Mahina Martin. The student apologises and Martin reacts by taking the ball and attempting to get a basket.
It’s these kind of interactions between youth and the police that Williams’ team is trying to foster, to demonstrate that the police are friendly, approachable and there to help rangatahi (youth) who need it.
For the next 12 months, Youth Aid officers will patrol the north Auckland school during lunch and the morning break. It is hoped the patrols will happen daily, when police resources allow.
Williams said the patrols were “old-fashioned policing” to make the school a safer place.
LAWRENCE SMITH/Stuff
Sergeant Jon Williams said it made sense for Youth Aid officers to visit schools, as that’s where the youths are.
Asked if it was a good use of police resources to patrol schools, Williams said it was their job as Youth Aid officers to go where the youth are.
“Where better a place for us to go than a school that has all the kids,” he said, adding that they were hoping to start patrols at Ōrewa College soon.
The patrols were not to catch students up to no good, but to get on top of anti-social behaviour before it becomes an issue at school and out in the community.
“We want to hold kids to account if they do wrong, but ultimately we want to prevent them doing wrong in the first place.”
“We aim to form relationships with the kids, so the kids see the police as a friendly face.”
During Thursday’s lunchtime patrol, which Stuff tagged along for, Williams and his three colleagues were constantly surrounded by students asking for photos, high-fives or a quick chat.
LAWRENCE SMITH/Stuff
Constable Mahina Martin plays basketball with students during her patrol.
Even some of the “rat bag kids” known to local police want to interact with the patrolling officers, Williams said.
“If you have a smile and a laugh, they will do so back. If you’re staunch, they’ll stay away.
“Once they trust you, they’re really loyal to you.”
Whangaparāoa College principal Steve McCracken said the school had been grappling with violence, bullying, vaping and “general teenage antics”.
“We’re not immune to things such as violence and other social problems that are experienced in our community.”
This year had seen a “dramatic increase” in students being stood down (removed from school for up to five days as a “circuit breaker”) compared to previous years.
Chris McKeen/Stuff
Whangaparāoa College principal Steve McCracken said the police patrols had made the school feel more positive in just three weeks.
This included 31 students stood down following an organised fight during breaktime recently, which was filmed and uploaded to social media. Some of the students no longer attend Whangaparāoa College as a result.
In the two years since McCracken took over as principal, the school had introduced higher expectations regarding student behaviour.
“The learners are struggling at times to adjust to those procedures and rising expectations.”
The patrols were part of a long term community engagement plan, to support young people to be better citizens outside school hours.
“We are aware that young people make mistakes and our job is to help educate in a positive and affirming way, rather than in a punitive way.”
Chris McKeen/Stuff
The college in north Auckland has seen a “dramatic increase” of students being stood down in 2023 so far.
“It takes a whole community to raise a young person.”
McCracken was aware of concerns regarding how having police officers on school grounds could be perceived.
However, in just three weeks of the patrols the school was feeling “much more positive”.
Student representative for the school’s board of trustee’s Jessica Washer, 15, had never dealt with the police until the patrols began.
She and her peers were unsure about the police presence as first, they typically associated police with disciplinary action.
But after a few weeks of patrols, Washer said she was comfortable with the police being at school and felt like she could trust them
“I think it’s a really great initiative.”
“They’ve been so engaging and so friendly with us.”
The police served as a good reminder that the school would not tolerate fighting, bullying and nasty comments, which weren’t seen as acceptable in the community.
“I think it is going to help us long term with eliminating or reducing anti-social behaviours.”
The school will evaluate whether the police patrols have made a positive difference in about a year’s time.
A police spokesperson said police patrols and school visits took place regularly across New Zealand.
That included in Whanganui, Greymouth, Taupō, Tokoroa, Turangi and Hawke’s Bay.
“These informal engagements are conducted by uniformed police Youth Aid staff who provide visibility and engagement.”
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