A man has been arrested following an attempted robbery involving a vehicle in Hamilton overnight.
The 28-year-old man is due to appear in Hamilton District Court on Wednesday charged with assault with attempt to rob.
Around 1.10am on Wednesday the man was seen acting suspiciously near the traffic lights at the intersection of Wairere Drive and River Road.
He then approached a vehicle stopped at the lights and attempted to pull the driver from the seat.
The driver was able to get free and drive away from the area.
The man then fled to nearby Harrowfield where he was quickly arrested by Police.
This morning's arrest is a result of swift and proactive work from our partners at Hamilton City Council who monitor the city's traffic cameras, says Hamilton City Prevention Manager Senior Sergeant Scott McKenzie.
"CitySafe staff had noticed the man acting suspiciously in the bushes near the intersection and alerted Police to the behaviour. Officers were then dispatched and responding at the time the man approached the vehicle," says Senior Sergeant McKenzie.
"Police value the relationship with CitySafe staff who are able to assist Police in preventing crime through early detection.
"Hamilton Police and Hamilton City Council, alongside partner agencies, are continually working on a range of initiatives that can further enhance our city's safety."
"Most Hamiltonians probably don't know that our dedicated CitySafe team are monitoring our city around the clock to keep our community safe," says Hamilton City Council CitySafe Unit Manager Kelvin Powell.
"Our continued investment into CCTV (including recent funding from Central Government), as well as our highly trained staff, allow us to work with Police to tackle crime and deliver great outcomes, and safer communities."
Police remain focused on delivering the best service possible to ensure our communities are safe and feel safe.
All of our staff work hard to do the very best for their communities and to hold those who participate in unlawful behaviour to account.
However, we cannot be everywhere at once, and we rely on local communities to help us address unlawful behaviour.
We encourage people to report any suspicious behaviour to Police.
If you feel unsafe, do not hesitate to call Police on 111 if it is happening now, or 105 after the fact. Information can also be given to Crime Stoppers anonymously via 0800 555 111 or https://www.crimestoppers-nz.org/.
