Police food parcels to cut South Auckland crime

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Food parcels to cut South Auckland crime

3News NZ

Manurewa police hand delivered a food parcel to Jaswinder, from a family with a history of domestic abuse

Manurewa police hand delivered a food parcel to Jaswinder, from a family with a history of domestic abuse

By Samantha Hayes

Police in South Auckland are trying a crime-fighting tactic they usually reserve for Christmas – presents, in the shape of food parcels.

They say school holidays mean hungry mouths at home, and that piles on the sort of pressure that leads to family violence.

Manurewa police hand delivered a food parcel to Jaswinder, from a family with a history of domestic abuse.

Food parcel recipient Jaswinder once considered police the enemy as he struggled with alcoholism, unemployment and English as a second language.

Now he welcomes police officers into his home and hasn't had a drink for more than a year.

“Now I am happy with my family and I have so much love for my wife,” he says.

Counties Manukau police and local businesses have donated enough food for 100 parcels to help families get through the school holidays.

“We know in the past that kids being at home, hanging around home with nothing to do and sometimes not enough food, is a trigger for family violence,” says Inspector Alan Shearer.

The average income in Manurewa is $25,000, and families in the area tend to be large, with five or more mouths to feed. Like Christmas, school holidays can be a stressful time.

So police use the drop-offs ASA prevention strategy to develop trust and identify any problems.

“We've done it before around Christmas time, and as a result of that the families we gave these packs to we didn't have any calls for service from them, so it's a win-win,” says Inspector Shearer.

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Comments

20/10/2012 10:21:26 p.m.

christina taripo wrote:

what a god send.. gratefully now someone sees the family once affected for who they are. good on him for trying. critics just a message if you aint xperienced it dont talk about it. if the guy hadnt changed dont you think hed be sighted by police abusing substance. and if he has an addiction we all do too, could be anything doesnt need to be a substance, could be shopping. reality is hes trying and good on him, dont judge a book by its cover i shows what kind of a heart you really have.

3/07/2012 4:02:05 p.m.

Nicky Peake wrote:

At Te Puawaitanga we grow fruit & veg for the local food bank at the Papakura Marae in association with the MIT. They are starting a new programme on the 16th July 2012 - National Cert. in Horticulture Level 2 and the programme incl. Garden skills, Health & Safety, Horticulture Diary, A Practical Project, Sicaence in the Garden, Vegetable Growing & Field Trips. It is an 18 week fulltime course 4 days a week & cost $1227 approx. For further enquiries please contact Marae Manager Tony Kake 2983877 ext 215 or MIT Tutor Phil Sutherland 0274 398578

This is a great course and at the end you will be self sufficent to not only feed yourself and family but your whole neighbourhood. Dig up your backyards, put in a veggie garden and eat for free!

3/07/2012 3:46:29 p.m.

Gaz wrote:

These families dont care about feeding their children. They will just use the money saved from not buying food to purchase more alcohol and drugs

3/07/2012 10:12:21 a.m.

dave wrote:

I just hope that these families are also doing as much as they can to feed them selves...a garden for a start. All too easy to put your hand out for freebies that some one else had to work for