Mayor formally thanks Police - 13/06/2007Wanganui Mayor Michael Laws today attended the official Police debriefing for the Jhia murder enquiry team and formally thanked the Police on behalf of the Wanganui community for their enterprise and hard work in apprehending the murderers of Jhia Te Tua.
Mr Laws said that many of the Police staff had come from outside the district and spent over five weeks away from their homes and families. As well, local staff had worked countless hours of overtime in bringing the enquiry to a successful conclusion.
Next week the Mayoral/Iwi taskforce on gangs will meet for the first time. Mr Laws said the purpose is twofold. "To shut them down at the front door and at the back. To combat their criminal activity in our community but also to cut off their source of recruits. We need to show youth in our community that the gang life is the prison life and the prison life is the loser life."
Formal civic reception
Mr Laws told the Jhia enquiry team that a formal civic reception would be held in a couple of weeks to formally thank all those who have been involved in this enquiry.
"I told the enquiry team they have made Wanganui a safe place and that they have probably made us the safest place in New Zealand at the moment. Their hard work should be formally recognised in a civic reception to that effect in the Council Chamber within the next fortnight." |
