There has been another hold-up in Palmerston North and a major police operation was launched to arrest three men after an armed robbery in a dairy.

The Dom Post told us this much:

“Three men have been arrested after an apparent dairy robbery in Palmerston North led to a high-speed chase along State Highway 57 this afternoon.

A spokesman said police were called to a dairy in Seddon St about 2.45pm.

Three men fled the scene in a car, leading police south along SH57 at speeds in excess of 100kmh, the spokesman said.

The car was road-spiked twice and came to a stop near Tokomaru, 20km south of Palmerston North, about 3.20pm.

At least three police cars were involved in the chase.

No further details are available at this stage. “

The chase was described slightly differently by people on the Trademe Message Boards, one of them said that eight police cars, four of them unmarked, sped up the Pioneer Highway at around 2pm this afternoon. One was able to give us a bit more information:

“They stole a till at knife point, got into a police chase from Palmy-Longburn-Palmy-Tokomaru way.
They got a popped tyre from the road spikes and apparently they kept trying to go so the police readied the tasers.
Helicopter was out too.”

At the beginning of the month NZ’s crime figures were released showing that violence and drug-related offences are largely responsible for increased crime rates, up 4.6% over last year. There were 451,405 offences recorded in 2009, compared to  431,383 in 2008.

Police Minister Judith Collins said the figures showed the scale of the problem New Zealand faced.

“In the 18 months that I have been police minister I have been shocked at the level of violent and anti-social behaviour in our society,”

By what do the residents of Palmerston North think of what’s happening to their town and to their country? read one British migrant’s concerns:

Migrant Tales – “NZ A More Dangerous, More Violent Place”

“The words of our police minister today. NZ really does appear to be going down the gurgler. It all bad news just now for NZ. They blame P (methamphetamine) and the dole/bludging way of life for too many.

There have been a spate of ugly attacks in Palmy of late.

Murders are going thru the roof.

The only difference betwixt NZ and the UK is looking like just the lower population of NZ. The latter is a huge pull for me as I hate crowds and endless jams on the road. They reckon its going to get worse. Another caveat before you chose to come. Canada or Oz are looking like more favourable alernatives aye? Or are they too going to shite??”

“The NZ Institute says today that NZ is failing as a nation. There are some horendous stats coming out of their report (google it). I would seriously consider not coming to NZ just now if I was starting out the process I did just under six years ago. I would look at Oz or Canada. I love NZ and have our roots too well set to consider a move at present..who knows Oz may well beckon in the coming years as we will soon be citizens of NZ.

I have no axe to grind. Inspite of the fiscal problems NZ’s crap fiscal regulators have wrought upon us we have a superb quality of life here, [my wife] has a glowing career in senior palliative care and our kids are incredibly happy. Thus we are content here and we want for nothing, but I am soooo glad my kids can go to Oz if need be or can return to europe some day for a brighter future.

I really think NZ is looking at a downward trend now in terms of the quality of life here. I think the kiwi $$ will steadily lose value over the coming months as NZ will be seen to be a risky place to invest..a bit like a rudderless boat. All we need is a dairy disaster and NZ will be all washed up. Think about your options aye?

I am not being dark or wishing to start a flare thread…just telling you what I hear on the news. The rest is up to you.”