Crimeline has changed. The report is now based on a police media briefing, and is written by the Wānaka App.

Police “core business” of attending mental health and family harm incidents has continued this week, according to Wānaka senior sergeant Chris Brooks.

Chris said two mental health incidents on Tuesday evening (February 13) were “complicated and took a long time”.

There’s no mental health team in Wānaka and police are required to keep people safe until such services are accessed.  

Chris said “it feels like” mental health incidents have increased over the past few years. 

Police also attended a couple of family harm incidents this past week, he said.

Family harm covers everything from a couple arguing because there's not enough food on the table to serious violence, he said, and the police are called to “try and stop anyone getting hurt”.

Chris said he could not comment on news this week that NZ Police has proposed a managed withdrawal from what it called “non-crime social problems” such as family harm and mental health.

Due to a lack of other social services, police have been forced to step in when it came to family harm, mental health, and child protection calls, NZ Police said in a brief to incoming police minister Mark Mitchell.

More than half of its family harm investigations did not involve an offence being recorded, NZ Police told the minister.

Chris said Wānaka police have been called to a range of family situations, including a child refusing to go to bed.

Chinese New Year

Wānaka has been busy this week with extra tourists on holiday for the Chinese New Year.

“Chinese New Year definitely brings a lot more calls to service on the road,” Chris said.

He said this involved the “usual road stuff” such as drivers crossing the centre line.

Call 111 when you need an emergency response from police, fire or ambulance.

Call 105 to report things that don’t need urgent police assistance.

Call *555 to report road incidents that are urgent but not life-threatening.

To make an anonymous crime report contact Crime Stoppers.

PHOTO: Wānaka App