Police tracing vigilantes

Press, 5 August 1988, Page 3

Police tracing vigilantes

PA Nelson As many as 15 people were probably involved in the attack last week-end on Rocky River Ranch, near Motueka, the police said yesterday. “It upsets me that we have an assault of this magnitude within our community that is actually committed by local members of the community,” Sergeant Jim Burrows said. "We are making good progress in tracing participants, and it would be advantageous to anyone present to approach the police themselves.” Mr Alan Green, the father of Mr Wayne Green, who suffered a broken nose, broken kneecap, and three broken ribs during the attack, said there seemed “little doubt about who the attackers are.” “I am amazed that one or two of them have not got the guts to come forward and help the police,” he said. The Green family has lived in the area for sev-

era! generations, and he sympathised with all those who had lost petrol, batteries, cars and the like through theft. “I have learned more about what has been going on round the area in the last two days than I have during my whole 62 years,” he said. “Local people from that area phoned me a month or two ago and told me they were having problems. One bloke said his wife’s car was interfered with. They were halfway threatening that the people up in that area would do something about it.”

Mr Green said he could not blame local people for getting upset after the petty thefts but the culprits had stayed at the ranch for only a short time, according to what he had been told. His son did not have a criminal record and had made an effort to get rid of the young lawbreakers. “I just can’t condone people with weapons bashing someone up who is defenceless,” he said.