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New cop embedded in the Elgin beat
Friday, September 28, 2012 • Sophie Rishworth
THE Elgin community again has its own police officer dedicated to the suburb, with the appointment of Constable William Tamatea yesterday.

The new community constable will live and work in the suburb in an effort to reduce crime through an increased focus on prevention.

From Monday, Constable Tamatea will interact daily with Elgin residents, businesses owners and schools to identify the community’s needs.

Tairawhiti Police area commander, Inspector Sam Aberahama, said it was always the intention to put a community constable back into Elgin after Constable Jason Whitehead left the position last year.

Elgin was flagged as a burglary hotspot in a recent five-year study by Gisborne police.

The neighbourhood policing team (NPT) in Kaiti had been very successful but finding the right person for the Elgin beat took time, he said.

“This is an exciting opportunity — not only for him but for the community as well.”

For the past three-and-a-half years the constable had been working as a police officer in Wairoa.

Insp Aberahama said Constable Tamatea was sports-orientated too.

As the captain of the YMP rugby team, that meant travelling back for games every weekend.

He will now have more time at the weekends and is already an integral part of the Elgin community.

Ahead of his first day at the new job he and his wife and two children moved into their new house in Elgin.

Constable Tamatea says Gisborne is just like a bigger Wairoa and he is looking forward to seeing some changes in Elgin.
COMMUNITY COP: Elgin’s new community constable William Tamatea is surrounded by Elgin School students after the official powhiri to welcome him to his new post. From Monday, the suburb has its community constable back. The position has been vacant since Constable Jason Whitehead left the role last year but it was only a matter of finding the right person to fill the gap. Picture by Paul Rickard
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