Federated Farmers Wants The Army Deployed To Deter Crime In Rural Areas Of Coromandel, East Cape And Hawke’s Bay

Federated Farmers wants the army deployed to deter crime in rural areas of Coromandel, East Cape and Hawke’s Bay. Feds CEO Terry Copeland says the army was present following the Christchurch earthquake, which established a threshold now crossed by the crime and fear plaguing the flood hit regions. He was in the Hawke’s Bay over the past few days and met plenty of people who had grave fears for the safety of themselves and property. Mr Copeland thinks people outside the region have little awareness of the dire situation. The criminal element is operating and intimidating in isolated rural and farming areas. Terry Copeland says he fears for the exhausted people in flood-hit areas saying they are very vulnerable, and they need the reassurance of the army presence, and criminals need the army to deter them.