In light of a Public meeting about security cameras to be held on 19 May 2024, a check of the archives has shown a short list of recorded incidents of thefts, burglaries, prowlers, suspicious activity at Waikawa Beach in the last 6 to 7 years. Of course, any theft or burglary is upsetting for the victims and the community at large. The fact that there have been on average only around 2.5 incidents per year is not to minimise the distress caused in each instance.
- December 2017: a burglary in the village last night (Thursday, 07 December 2017) where a number of items were stolen from a garage. This was in the central village area.
- 03 June 2018: Possible attempted burglary in James St
- February 2019: There are reports on Facebook from the last few days of people ‘visiting’ local properties at suspicious times.
- August 2019: In the last month there have been several thefts. A household gas cylinder was taken from a property on Manga Pirau Street, a Kontiki was stolen from another property in the village, and there was a burglary in Mavis Ave.
- 14 July 2020: Reports on Facebook suggests that folks here at the beach have had firewood stolen and water taken from a tank.
- 14 January 2022: Burglary: Waikawa Beach Rd (520-550) 06 January 2022 (between Walkers Lane and Emma Drive), Car/person acting suspiciously: Drake Street 9-11 January 2022
- 09 February 2022: daytime burglary at Waikawa Beach Rd (630–660)
- 18 March 2022: a car or person acting suspiciously and on the same day a burglary around Waikawa Beach Rd (640–670). That’s roughly in the area between Walkers Lane and Sarah Street.
- 30 May 2022: Burglary in Sarah St (20–50)
- 27 August 2023: At the end of August 2023 there was a post on Facebook about a suspicious man [on a Strathnaver Drive] property. The Police were called. … a burglary at Waikawa Beach between 75 and 95 Strathnaver Drive
- 26 April 2024: break-ins at two Waikawa Beach properties. In one case the residents were out, but in the other they were at home at the time. [A third burglary was mentioned later]
Over the period from around December 2023 to May 2024, there were also numerous incidents of destruction of public property and illegal driving of motor vehicles in the dunes and along pedestrian-only tracks. While many were reported, the actual number is unknown. The likely culprits in those illegal activities were locals. Unless CCTV cameras were specifically directed at the affected public areas footage from a single camera elsewhere would be unlikely to help the Police identify the offenders.
