Prison film frenzy

Press, 21 October 1980, Page 6

Prison film frenzy

PA Auckland Guards at the Paremoremo maximum-security prisin'were thrown into a panic yesterday morning when they thought a helicopter circling overhead was part of a plan to free an inmate. • • The prisoners were exercising in the yards at 7.20 a.m. when the huge twin-jet helicopter circled about 520 feet overhead for three minutes. The superintendent of the prison (Mr J. Hobson) said a “red alert” was sounded and the guards “wanted to know whether to spit at it or give it a load of buckshot.’’

A couple of quick telephone calls showed that the helicopter had a TV! film crew oh board, who were taking film to bring their library up to date, and. the alert was called off. The pilot, and a reporter, Mr Peter Gill, were spoken to by both Mr Hobson and Civil Aviation. No formal complaint was made. Mr Hobson said there had been several helicopter escapes from prisons in several countries in recent years and “this is something we have always been aware of.” Mr Gill said that a big helicopter was needed to

reduce vibration arid the barrel of the camera could have been mistaken for the barrel of a gun. The crew originally set out to film the departure of American warships, but because of the enormous cost of hiring the helicopter it was decided to bring up to date library film of the harbour bridge, the teachers’ training college and the prison. Mr Gill said he received a “friendly...but suitably acid” telephone call from Mr Hobson, and Television New Zealand would ask Mr Hobson’s permission if it wanted to film the prison again.