Tuesday, March 29, 2016
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THE INDEPENDENT VOICE OF MID CANTERBURY
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Farmers on fitness tour A tour of farmers cycling the length of New Zealand to promote fit farming stopped in Ashburton for a community fun day yesterday. FULL STORY
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Drugs ‘behind burglaries’ BY ERIN TASKER
ERIN.T@THEGUARDIAN.CO.NZ
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Drug debt, or a desire to buy drugs, is the reason for the majority of burglaries in Mid Canterbury, the area’s top cop says. Ashburton Police senior sergeant Scott Banfield said the majority of crimes like burglary and thefts from vehicles, had a drug-related element to them. “I would say, hand on heart, that probably 95 per cent of burglaries – maybe even higher – would be as a result of people trying to fuel their drug habits, or pay back debt related to drugs,” Mr Banfield said. “I would give that on oath, and that’s probably conservative.” That’s why police put such an emphasis on drug-related crime. Mr Banfield said police had an ongoing strategy aimed at reducing harm to communities by people committing burglaries and car
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crime to fund their drug habits. Mr Banfield warned there would be more drugs busts like one in Rakaia earlier this month, where two people were arrested and 1kg of synthetic cannabis was seized, along with a quantity of BZP, cannabis seeds and drug utensils. “Ashburton was probably seen as a quiet little place where some behaviour could go unseen because it was quiet,” Mr Banfield said. “But since the earthquakes and population shifts, and the fact we are on a state highway, there are so many people coming through here that our police staff are coming into contact with. “There’s a lot of people who are criminals, who are not necessarily trying to set up criminal activity in Ashburton, but some are. “Our whole role as police is to identify and disrupt criminal behaviour.”
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Mr Banfield said houses and people like the alleged offenders in the Rakaia drug bust, were just a link in the chain local police were trying to break. He said all drugs – whether it be cannabis, methamphetamine, or synthetic drugs – went hand-in-hand. “At today’s drug houses you can purchase what you want. It’s not just a synthetic cannabis house, or it’s not just a tinny house. There’s still people clearly operating tinny houses in Mid Canterbury, and if there was no demand, there would be no supply. “It’s about us continuing to gather evidence and shut them down and getting them before the courts.” Police are continuing to urge people with concerns about family or friends struggling with drug habits, or suffering from withdrawals, to contact the Alcohol and Drug Helpline.
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