“Police in embarrassing situation as alcohol-fueled violence escalates’

By Cr.K Gurunathan

 This senseless alcohol-fueled violence has to stop. A second tragic death of a young person within five weeks at Kapiti Lights is a clear vindication of the long-held view, especially by many parents, that this area is spiraling into an increasingly unsafe place.

I am calling on community groups and the public at large to become more vocal and say “Enough is Enough!”

Yet again, the police have been put in a very embarrassing situation where a violent black spot has been allowed to evolve just 50-metres from the district’s central police station! Without a doubt the existence of two pubs, one with a late license till 3am, have acted as a magnet for this culture of alcohol-fuelled violence to evolve

I am disappointed that, following the last incident, there does not appear to have been a stronger police presence to stamp out the bad behaviour outside these two alcohol watering holes. Even a temporary deployment of heavy police presence over the few weeks after the last incident would have been useful while more long term measures were being worked out. No doubt the police will clarify these matters.

The fact that this Kapiti Lights area is private land has complicated the matter and slowed down any immediate regulatory action by the Kapiti Coast District Council.

I was at the scene this morning. The whole place was cordoned off by the police and crawling with forensic staff. Businesses within the cordon were closed. This is not what we want in our CBD.