Mothers fear for children’s safety in prison village

Press, 16 August 1988, Page 7

Mothers fear for children’s safety in prison village

In the tense Paremoremo prison village, some mothers fear for their children while others say their neighbours have over-reacted. Saturday evening’s confrontation was a spontaneous gathering after some people went door-knock-ing for support in the area, a man who lives near Paremoremo said yesterday. Residents spoke of the community’s fears after 60 vigilantes stormed a Mongrel Mob protest camp outside Paremoremo Maximum Security Prison. “People have had a gutsful and they are glad

the action was taken. Had , it been planned, probably two or three times as : many people would have been involved,” he said. "I have to agree with some of the officers that ! we have to make a stand. If it is not stopped here, i what will it lead to?” ; An officer’s wife said I Paremoremo residents feared mob members would grab someone as a hostage and she feared for the safety of her teenage daughter whose bus stop was close to the protesters’ camp. Some parents have been driving children to school rather than let

them pass the camp on foot or bicycles. Officers’ families say the barricade on the road to the village makes home seem like a prison. However, an officer’s daughter said the protesters seemed to have behaved themselves and she felt the community had over-reacted. A mother said her children thought it was “quite neat” to pass the camp on their way to school and it did not worry them. Yesterday the village remained uneasy as relief that the camp has gone is tempered by fears that the Mongrel Mob will return in greater numbers.