'Invasive' drones raise theft fears in Taieri Mouth residents

Taieri Mouth residents believe a recent uptick in drone flights in the coastal village may be linked to criminal activity. Taieri Mouth Amenities Society president Sue Keith posted on social media this week highlighting community concerns, saying a drone had been seen operating locally, both day and night. Mrs Keith told the Otago Daily Times she had not seen the drone herself, but had been asked to make the announcement on the Taieri Mouth Information Group social media page by worried residents. She said several people had reported seeing drones both at Taieri Mouth and as far afield as Milton, and Westwood, near Brighton. One resident, who did not wish to be named, said building materials had been taken following a visit by a drone, suggesting it might have been used to “scout out” properties in the area. Mrs Keith said she believed the theft had been reported to police, as well as the drone activity. In her post, she said although drone use was not illegal in itself, a repeated pattern of behaviour could be of concern to police. “It’s likely [the police] say they can do little but if there are enough complaints then they will have to respond,” Mrs Keith posted. Former society president Jeannine Basquin said the reports were “worrying” for residents in the remote village. “Drones can be very useful, and there are obviously many legitimate uses, such as real estate, farming or photography. “But you have to question what someone would be doing flying after dark, and peering into people’s properties. It can be invasive, and people feel less secure nowadays anyway, without something like this.” Posting in response to Mrs Keith’s alert, a user called Rock H Moffatt said it was a “jump” to link drone use to criminal activity. “Drones aren’t that unusual. It’s a jump to assume they are linked to thefts in area. Shooting them down is illegal. Estate agents use them, farmers use them, the power company used them to find faults after the big winds, kids use them for school projects,” the reply said. Mrs Keith said she hoped greater community awareness would help resolve the issue. “We don’t want people shooting them down, but we’d like it to stop.” richard.davison@odt.co.nz

'Invasive' drones raise theft fears in Taieri Mouth residents

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