A Bay of Plenty resident had a rude wake-up this week, when his camper was stolen while he and his cat were asleep inside.

The incident began unfolding about 8.50pm on Wednesday, near Seaview Road in Whakatāne when a person unlawfully entered a camper that was parked out by the heads. However, much to the surprise of the alleged thief, they had passengers.

Woken by the activity up front, the man told the uninvited guest to get out, but instead of listening, the person drove off in the camper, with both man and moggie still in the rear sleeper section. He called Police immediately and units closed in as the camper headed east towards Ōhope. The Police call taker stayed on the line, keeping the man calm and using his information to update responding officers.

Acting Eastern Bay of Plenty Area Commander Inspector Phil Gillbanks says it was a dangerous situation, and a considered plan was implemented.

“Our main concern was the welfare of the person in the back, and in cases like this, planning is everything. His wellbeing would have been front and centre of our officers’ minds as they looked at how to safely stop the vehicle.

“It really was great teamwork between the victim and the call taker, through to the dispatcher and the units on the ground. Everyone was working together to bring this to a safe conclusion.”

Police monitored the vehicle from a distance before it came to a stop on Wainui Road, believed to be due to a mechanical issue caused by the alleged thief’s dangerous driving, Inspector Gillbanks says.

Through all of that, the call taker kept talking to the man.

“He didn’t have a seatbelt, so the call taker worked with him to find the most stable place to keep him safe. In this case, that meant he sat on the bed and held onto the sink. It’s not ideal, but it was the least worst choice available.”

The camper came to a stop just before the State Highway 2 roundabout and the driver was taken into custody about 9.10pm. Thankfully, the man and his cat were unharmed.

A 28-year-old Whakatāne woman has been charged with failing to stop and unlawfully taking a motor vehicle. She appeared in Whakatāne District Court on 7 May and was remanded in custody to reappear on 10 June.

“If there’s one piece of advice we can give people, it’s to make sure your vehicle is fully secure, regardless of whether you’re staying in it or not. But I want to acknowledge the victim for keeping a cool head through all of this – waking up to find your camper moving would be unsettling to say the least.”

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