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.