A new organised crime group focusing on the Wānaka and Queenstown party scene will have benefits for Central Otago.

In an update to the Vincent Community Board on Tuesday Senior Sergeant Clinton Wright said staff in Central Otago would be able to “plug in” to the new Otago Lakes group for information and help with anyone who may be of interest in organised crime activity in this area. 

He told board members policing in Central Otago is in “a good spot” despite the challenges of Covid-19 and current economic hardships. 

“What’s really quite nice is Central just carries on carrying on.”

Only a few staff had been affected with the virus and all positions would be full once a replacement area liaison was hired, he said. 

Senior Sergeant Clinton Wright updates the Vincent Community Board in Alexandra on Tuesday.

A new rural liaison and a detective were also expected to be added to complement staffing levels.

While there was “quite a bit” of ongoing family harm and mental health work spread across the district, this had been consistent but had not increased in the past six months.

Youth incidents were keeping to normal patterns of spiking during holiday periods when young people became bored, Clinton said.

Police nationwide were working to get offenders out of the cycle of repeatedly ending up in the courts and jail and this was particularly well advanced in Central Otago.

There had been one “lower level” arrest related to drug activity with that person being remanded in custody in Dunedin on Tuesday. More progress on that investigation was expected in the coming days.  

Drug-related issues in Central Otago were “always” being worked on, Clinton said.

On the roads, increased breath testing work was planned and this would be “popping up” across Central to ensure offenders were dealt with and policing was visible to motorists, he said.