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Lincoln could soon have an extra police officer, with recruitment under way to boost the town’s frontline presence.
The move comes as some residents say they have noticed an increase in antisocial behaviour, including late-night door knocking and vandalism, in recent months – although police say there has been no rise in incidents.
One resident, whose car windscreen was smashed by youths about 11pm last Tuesday, said frustration in the community was building.
“I’ve seen a number of issues on the community page, yet there seems to be nothing done to address it,” the resident said.
“It’s definitely on the rise, hence why you see it all over the community page.”
The concerns follow other recent incidents, including youths throwing lemons at the home of a woman in her 90s and later returning about 1.15am to bang on her windows.
A family member said police advised removing the lemons from the tree, and the behaviour has since stopped.
In another case, an 82-year-old Lincoln man armed with a butcher’s steel chased a group who had woken him and his wife at 2am.
Canterbury rural area commander Peter Cooper said Lincoln currently has one community constable, with police now recruiting for another officer to be based in the town.
“Lincoln’s front counter is manned periodically. Rolleston station is open between 8am and 4pm on weekdays.
"Members of the public can report a crime or speak directly to a police staff member during these hours if they have any concerns for their safety or need police support,” he said.
Cooper did not respond to questions about why police were recruiting another officer for the town, or if it was in response to the large amount of public feedback last year during consultation on the 24/7 policing model.
The model, introduced in May 2023, operates Public Safety Teams (PST) out of Rolleston. As part of the changes, officers were moved from Lincoln and Leeston to bolster those teams.
Lincoln, once a three-officer station, was reduced to one, with a focus on community policing. Leeston dropped from three officers to two.
During consultation, residents raised concerns about officers being taken from smaller townships.
“Local police maintain a 24/7 response capability and will respond to jobs after these hours,” Cooper said.
“Our Public Safety Teams regularly patrol the wider rural areas as part of their duties. We have sufficient frontline staff visible and available to our communities 24/7, and we deploy our staff where there is demand.”
Selwyn Times also understands police may be recruiting for another officer in Leeston, but Cooper did not confirm this.
Selwyn Community Patrol secretary Denise Carrick said she had noticed reports of antisocial behaviour increasing on social media, but said incidents are difficult to track if they are not formally reported.
Carrick said an additional officer in Lincoln could make it easier for residents to report crime.