Last week our local police praised a successful collaboration between Te Awamutu residents and authorities that led to an arrest for burglary.
Rev Julie Guest
This paper reported police comments; “A recent incident in our community has shown just how powerful it can be when members of the public and police work together.” But should we be celebrating, or asking harder questions?
Don’t misunderstand me – I’m grateful the alleged offender was caught through proper channels rather than vigilante action. I’ve said before in this column that any time I’ve needed to call on police in Te Awamutu, they have responded in a timely and caring manner. My husband and I volunteer with Commsafe, so we absolutely support people looking out for people. We know how vital community vigilance is for keeping each other safe. But I’m troubled by what this incident reveals about where we’re heading as a community.
The police warn against taking matters into our own hands. That is wise advice, but I think it misses the deeper issue. Why are we seeing rising property crime in Te Awamutu and around our country? Why are people turning to social media first rather than trusting our justice system? And most importantly – what does our response reveal about who we’re becoming?
What particularly grieves me is how often these crimes target people who have so little themselves. Where are we going wrong that offenders can treat others so badly – stealing from neighbours who are already struggling to make ends meet? I’ve known elderly pensioners who feel violated by a break in, a young family whose children’s bikes were stolen from their front yard. These aren’t wealthy targets – they’re people just like the offenders themselves, trying to get by.
I’ve also sat with families whose children have become an offender. Behind burglary statistics is usually a story of addiction, desperation, or mental illness. The Bible is clear that all people are created in God’s image – including the woman now remanded in custody awaiting her June court appearance. Yet our instinct is to celebrate her capture rather than ask what drove her to this point, and what drove her to harm others who have so little.
Jesus didn’t call us to be only good neighbours who watch out for each other’s property. He called us to love our enemies, to visit those in prison, to ask why people are hungry or homeless in the first place. When we focus only on catching wrongdoers rather than addressing root causes, we’re treating symptoms while the disease spreads.
The collaboration between police and community is encouraging. But real safety comes from building the kind of society where people don’t need to steal to survive, and where we haven’t lost the basic human decency that says you don’t take from others who are struggling just like you. We need both community vigilance and policy changes that address inequality, mental health, and addiction – the real drivers of property crime. Each of us is responsible for the community we’re creating.
The choice is ours.
Ryan Fleming outside Te Awamutu Police Station.
