Police take no chances at Wanganui

Press, 4 August 1981, Page 3

Police take no chances at Wanganui

P/\ Wanganui In spite of intelligence reports indicating the Springboks would have a quiet time in Wanganui, the police were taking no chances. The Wanganui district police commander. Superintendent Bryan Dean, said last evening the security operation for tomorrow's match against Wanganui would be “certainly a massive one".

He described Spriggens Park, which is lined by a corrugated iron fence secured to wooden posts, as a "medium" security risk. It was being guarded around the clock by police and volunteers. Much of the tension which had dogged the Springboks so far on their tour of New Zealand evaporated when they arrived in Wanganui on Sunday. The team trained without incident ' yesterday

morning and had accepted invitations from local rugby supporters for sightseeing, and private visits. Union officials reported that there were so many invitations for the team that many had to be turned down.

"We cannot possibly cope with all the invitations we have got.” said Mr Bob Stuart, the New Zealand Rugby Union liaison officer with the Springboks. Virtually everyone expected the match to go ahead without a hitch.

"There is no intelligence of significance at this stage which would point to there being any untoward activity within this district." Mr Dean said. Anti-tour leaders did not expect any problems either. Mr Don Milne, a spokesman for the umbrella group, Wanganui Action Against Apartheid, said there had been no

formal contact yet which indicated.that protest groups from outside Wanganui would join the local demonstrations planned for tomorrow.

Mr Dearr said the police had talked with those who wished to demonstrate and he had found them “exceptionally responsible people.” "There have been no varying points of view and all told we have been able to understand each other's side of the problem." he said. Local protest groups had agreed to contain their match demonstration to a roped off area near the park. Addressing a press conference conducted in the most relaxed atmosphere of any to date on the tour, Mr Dean said the police would act in an unbiased manner, adding: “We have a particular job to do and we are going to do