Pubdate: Mon, 12 Mar 2007 Source: Howick And Pakuranga Times (New Zealand) Copyright: 2007 Howick And Pakuranga Times. Contact: http://www.times.co.nz Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2953 Author: PJ Taylor TARGETING BUYERS OF NARCOTICS POLICE are signalling they're going to throw the book at a lot more people purchasing illegal drugs in Manukau. Counties Manukau East police commander, Howick-based Inspector Jim Searle, says the push to prosecute more buyers of drugs from Manukau distributors, including tinnie houses, will strengthen law enforcement efforts to stop the flow of illicit substances and narcotics. At a public meeting in Otara on Thursday evening, assembled to rally the local community to 'stand up' and address the escalating gang, violence and drug problems since early January, Mr Searle explained present police strategies, what the force intends to do in the immediate future, while answering questions from the audience. There were several residents who made it clear to Mr Searle that previous calls to report details of drug distribution points and tinnie houses were not responded to quickly enough by police. Mr Searle says the police continue to also rely on accurate information supplied by members of the public and it will assist in the plan for increased tinnie house busts. Moves to catch and prosecute greater numbers of drug buyers will also help in the identification of more tinnie houses, he believes, which the almost 200 meeting attendees agreed need to be closed down and exited from Otara and Manukau. At a meeting that was positive, forward thinking and emotive, community representative after resident after politician stated that the community, including church leaders, has to unite to deal with the rising drug, gang and violence troubles. Highly respected community leaders and workers with youth such as Alan Va'a and Sully Paea of the Otara Youth Action Group (274) say all efforts have to be made to re-connect with the younger generations, youth defined as 10 to 25-year-olds. Mr Paea, who reads the mood in Otara and in its neighbourhoods better than most, says he's noticed a change for the worse since January, when returning from holiday. "I've never seen anything like this before," says Mr Paea. He's worried about hearing more P language use, which is "vicious, harsh and effecting our children". "They know about everything in our neighbourhood," says Mr Paea. Mr Va'a says the fantasy existence that some gangs are leading is "not normal and we shouldn't make that normal". He calls on the community to unite, "to stand together as a family to confront this". Mr Va'a talked of the power struggle that's being fought by gangs over stakes of Auckland's drug trade and frustrations of seeing young ones exposed to such activities (Times, March 1). "I'm sick and tired of seeing our young people die," says Mr Va'a. He gave one example of 274 holding a sporting activity for young people in a Manukau park that had a clear view of a tinnie house. He estimated that over a period of a few hours, up to 300 members of the public had called at the address. At times the queue of people waiting to buy drugs was up to 13 long. "And that's just a tinnie house," says Mr Va'a. Mr Va'a and Mr Paea are calling on the police to have more direct connection with Manukau youth, a point agreed by Mr Searle. Everyone at the meeting was unanimous that most of the problems associated with wayward youth should first be dealt with by families and in the home. "Parents know where your kids are, have an interest in what music they're listening to, what movies they're watching - take more responsibility, also in what they're downloading on computers," says Mr Searle. The meeting, chaired by Otara city councillor Su'a William Sio, led by Len Brown and also addressed by Manukau East MP Ross Robertson and councillor Arthur Anae, passed 'Stand Up Community' resolutions. They include calling on the government to provide 'sufficient resources to police to increase activity in closing down drug houses'. Mr Robertson cataloged what government funding has been granted over the past couple of years to social agencies and police. But he reiterated his stance that the only way of thoroughly getting on top of the problems is for local people to rise up and claim back their community. Another resolution states that a stronger case will be put to the Manukau City Council for reducing the amount of liquor licenses it grants. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek