A petition has been launched to reopen Clive police station

According to police data, 39 cases of theft and related crimes and 15 cases of unlawful entry with intent/burglary or burglary have been reported in the Clive area since January 1, 2024.

These figures are slightly higher than last year’s figures, which were 29 cases of theft and 26 cases of unlawful entry within Clive. However, these figures are still much lower than in 2022, with 105 theft cases and 29 cases of unlawful entry.

Clive’s community police officer is based in Havelock North, which adds 10 to 15 minutes to the journey when called.

“The Community Police Officer covers a fairly large area covering Clive, Haumoana, Te Awanga, Whakatu, Mangateretere, Awatoto and surrounding rural districts. Clive is central to this area, so it seems like a no-brainer to be based there,” said Redstone.

She said a local police officer had been based in Clive for many years before the closure.

“Everyone knew them well and felt reassured to know that someone would be manning the station at least some of the time.”

The Clive police station was closed in 2014 and the property has been unused ever since.

“I understand that the reason for the closure was due to reduced government funding, which forced cuts to services. Havelock North Police Station was also assessed but remained open.”

The petition claims that the benefits of a staffed police station in Clive include faster response times, greater accessibility, improved safety, community trust, proactive policing and local knowledge “helping to create a thriving, safe and more resilient community for all create”.

A police spokesperson said officers across the country, including in Hawke’s Bay, are generally operating on a 24/7 mobile deployment model, rather than a station-based model – taking into account the most efficient use of the resources they have to to help ensure everyone is safe.

“This means that most police officers spend the majority of their time in the community, active and ready to respond to calls for service across the area, rather than carrying out duties at one station.

‘A rural police officer has Clive in his area. We recognize the incredible value that our community officers and local police officers bring to all the communities they serve. In saying that, every official in our community is available to listen to local people’s concerns and address them to the best of their ability.”

The spokesperson said the non-emergency 105 service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, by telephone or online, and in an emergency anyone needing police assistance should call 111.