Apparently we are now known as "The South Pole" because the problem has become so bad. 

Unfortunately this is not a new problem and reports like this have occurred in the national news more than once during the past couple of years, though this is the first I have heard of our new name. 

It annoys me that they always seem to blame the Wellington community as a whole and never point out that the real problem is an undermanned police station plus a very high percentage of long-term/multi-generational unemployed compared to the norm. 

These are both problems that our politicians should be trying to sort out, but they do little or nothing, and the media never points their fingers at the real problem : the inactivity of those with the power to really do something about the situation. 

If this little town of only 5000 people is regularly getting national media about our problems, then it would seem clear that drastic measures are needed, beyond the norm, yet nothing much happens. 

Our police station is not even open 24 hours a day, and when it is, the response time is often appalling. 

Not only is petty crime and drug use higher than usual (a problem everywhere that income and employment levels are very low), but we have the gaol outside town. 

When they built it we were told then we would need a 24 hour police presence but it has never happened. 

So no wonder these things have escalated out of control : the criminals all know when there are no police around and can do whatever they want with impunity. 

When a new batch of drugs comes into town we all know it as they set off fireworks around town to announce it! 

The recent "dob in a dealer" campaign is a worthy effort from our local officers, but as it is only a small community I am sure that our police already know who the worst offenders are, but they are just unable to do anything about it due to a lack of man power. 

Given the crime / drug problems and the gaol it would seem obvious we need a 24 hour police presence, and if our problem is worse than everywhere else, then it also seems obvious that we need more total numbers of police than usual, not less. 

In fact, shouldn't we have a special task force dedicated solely to dealing with the drug problem in this town? 

The media should be asking pointed questions of the government about why this is not occurring, not trying to bring a struggling community down even further! 

What businesses are going to relocate to our town when there are reports such as thisregularly going around the country? 

And without the businesses this town will continue to decline. 

Geoff Cook