MORE CRIME FORECAST

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31307, 1 March 1967, Page 1

MORE CRIME FORECAST

Seven persons were found unlawfully on premises by a Christchurch watching and commercial security firm last week-end. The premises were a large building site in Papanui, a block of shops in Lower Riccarton, and a vehicle wrecking yard at Sockburn. “It is the most persons we have caught at one week-end since we started six years ago,” said the managingdirector of Crown Security Services (N.Z.), Ltd. (Mr A T. Ramsay), yesterday. “In three instances, our patrols caught the intruders. A housewife raised the first alarm at the wrecking yard, and the owner, one of our patrol vehicles and a police patrol car. were on the scene within minutes.

“On Sunday night, we caught two more intruders ii the same wrecking yard. We

call the police on every occasion except when an employee is involved. The matter is then handed over to the management.” Mr Ramsay yesterday presented a cheque for £lO to the woman who had given the alarm about the first two intruders in the wrecking yard. The two young men involved were each fined £lO in the Magistrate’s Court after pleading guilty to a charge of being unlawfully on premises.

“We have caught 148 persons on premises since we started the service,” Mr Ramsay said. “There would be a lot less crime if all householders reported the presence of suspicious persons on other people’s property.

“I think the Government’s economic measures will bring an increase in thefts and burglaries. The increase in crime by young persons in Christchurch was very much apparent to us after the last

credit squeeze. “When bonuses are cut back, when two jobs for the one person, or one each for man and wife, are harder to get, then young people resort to stealing to supplement their depleted incomes," Mr Ramsay said. “Those with heavy commitments on time payment are faced with having their goods repossessed—and losing them altogether—or getting money by any means to keep up payments.”

Mr Ramsay employed two other men and had one patrol vehicle when he began in business six years ago. He now has a permanent staff of 40, nine patrol vehicles, and up to 130 persons whom be employs part-time. He provides a permanent watching service at three of the city’s largest industrial plants—at Hornby, Papanui and Radley. At present, there are three security firms in Christ-

church and another two private security men. The transport and safekeeping of cash, provision of watchers against shoplifters during sales by big stores and special watching services are some of the services provided by the firms.

140 Premises Mr Ramsay’s firm now provides patrol watching services for 140 premises in the city and -suburbs. He said that insurance firms gave a substantial rebate on insurance premiums when a permanent, 24hour watch was provided, but gave no rebate at all for patrol watches. “We are pressing for some rebate on both theft and fire insurance claims on premises under patrol watch. We have, by catching a fire in its earliest stages, prevented at least 18 major conflagrations in Christchurch. We are taking this matter up again with the New Zealand Underwriters’ Council,” Mr Ramsay said.