Long considered to be one of the ‘nicer’ parts of Auckland, and very popular with immigrants, the sleepy little suburb of Mairangi Bay is regarded for its little coffee shops and pleasant beach.

Today at 11am it gained a more dubious reputation – that of being another North Shore suburb to be troubled by serious crime: the armed hold up of an ASB bank.

Police described the perp as

Caucasian with dark hair that was thinning on the front. He was aged in his mid to late 40s and of medium build.

He was wearing a black T-shirt with writing and a motif on the front and back, and jeans.

The omitted to say anything about the motif on the shirt, but it looks like it may’ve borrowed it from his teenage son. Nor did they say if he spoke with an accent.

It’s disconcerting when events like this happen where one would least expect them. But, as New Zealand descends deeper and deeper into lawlessness and poverty its something that people are just going to have to get used to.

You may also like our Violent Crime – Armed Robberies page. It contains details of a survey we did over the course of a year which showed that hardly a day week by without an armed robbery happening somewhere in New Zealand.

“…Please note that an unknown number of serious crimes are not being  notified to the press. For instance, we recorded about press reports of 50 bank robberies in 2009 but the head of security for one major bank said the true figure was 84 (see Armed robberies reach historic levels)…”

We stopped the survey when police started to restrict crime information  released to the press and stories became few and far between. Our article makes interesting reading.

One of the reasons why the data was withheld was to ‘make the public feel safer.’ We suggest it was to justify cut-backs in police funding and chronic under-staffing. Over the years the thin blue line has become almost transparent in New Zealand.

Additional reading

Migrant Tales – British Cop in Northland: “NZ’s crime statistics a work of fiction”

His tale confirms what many people in New Zealand already suspect – crime statistics are a work of fiction and a criminal underclass has free rein over the country. He also talks about some of the most common problems that migrants encounter in New Zealand – well worth the read.

Also in today’s news

Complaints against cops hit 835 – “Sexual misconduct, “disgraceful” off-duty behaviour and falsification of documents were just some of more than 800 allegations levelled at Auckland police in the past year. Other complaints against them included unlawful arrests, workplace bullying and negligent or dangerous driving…”

Family fumes at police no-show – “A police crime reporting line is again under fire for not sending a proper copper to follow up a theft complaint. The O’Hanlon family of Eltham are the latest to be left high and dry by police after their case was suspended the same day it was reported, despite not sending an officer to their home… Central District operations manager Inspector Murray Drummond said the information gleaned “was not enough to deploy an officer”. “There were limited lines of inquiry that could be initiated and the likelihood of an apprehension or prosecution in this case was minimal,” he said…”

Former Northland cop to stand trial Michael David Blowers, 43, will stand answer to charges that he supplied methamphetamine and cannabis and also stole methamphetamine.

Tokoroa couple hospitalised after brutal attack – a couple in their late 20s were ambushed and beaten as they walked home. A man is in hospital with critical injuries

Nothing good happens after 3 am – “A man will appear in court this morning charged in connection with a central Auckland bar fight that left a 25-year-old man fighting for his life in hospital…”

Pair who defrauded wananga unmasked –  ” Margaret Grace Wood and her estranged husband, Ian Ellis Wood, can now be named as the couple who ripped off an educational organisation for more than $130,000. Wood and her now-former husband  were both sentenced to 12 months of home detention in December for stealing $132,000 from Te Wananga O Aotearoa between 2008 and 2009. The couple have had name suppression since being charged in March 2012…”

West Auckland principal resigns from Rangeview intermediate school –  “The principal of a West Auckland school has resigned after being investigated by the Department of Internal Affairs. A spokeswoman for Internal Affairs confirmed David Latimer was being investigated by the department, but would not reveal the nature of the investigation as it was ongoing…”