Spectrum 452. Police Constable 2070, Coromandel.

Rights Information
Year
1983
Reference
25127
Media type
Audio
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Rights Information
Year
1983
Reference
25127
Media type
Audio
Categories
Documentary radio programs
Nonfiction radio programs
Radio programs
Sound recordings
Duration
00:39:20
Credits
RNZ Collection
Alwyn Owen, 1926-, Presenter
Hori CHESNUTT, Interviewee
Radio New Zealand. National Programme, 1964-1986, Broadcaster
Don Bates, Interviewee

Alwyn Owen joins Police Senior Constable Hori Chesnutt on his rounds. The day begins with a member of the public reporting a house break-in. Constable Don Bates and family from Whitianga accompany them so Don can become familiar with the neighbouring landscape in case he’s required to assist in search and rescue operations.

Hori Chestnutt explains how one day can turn from easy into a nightmare and reflects on yesterday’s events of burglaries, land disputes, a stolen vehicle and two cell-mates violently fighting.

The two police cars head up the Peninsula to ‘Little Bay’ to investigate the break-ins of a few baches. First, they stop off at Tokatea Hill mine shafts where Hori explains the dangers of and describes the type of rescue operations that have occurred in, these mines.

As Hori drives further on he identifies McCalls Crossing as a previous cannabis site and explains how, when the Airforce and Navy are doing exercises off Little Barrier, he’ll recruit their help to do a cannabis sweep from the air. Hori makes a stop en route to issue a distress warrant, this is civil work required of him as bailiff for the area.

Their next stop inland from Kennedy Bay is a native nursery, run by Mary Hovell and Ruth Small where they collect some trees which will beautify both police station and the RSA cemetery. As they drive on towards Little Bay, Hori describes the variety of people that live in the region.

Once in Little Bay his wife, Peggy Chesnutt reads out the police report to assist in identifying exactly which baches have been broken into. They have difficulty finding the lot numbers to match with the correct complainants so break for lunch at the beach.

Hori and Alwyn discuss administration, police-community relations, local policing stories and what it takes to be successful in the job. After re-addressing the bach issuei they head back across the peninsula to a vacant house north of Coromandel which had been reportedly broken into the night before. Don returns to Whitianga with a pet lamb for his kids and Hori contemplates the office paperwork ahead of him tomorrow.