Many Bay folk will have read the recent Hawke’s Bay Today story “HB motels wage war on cheats”, which highlighted the phenomenon of the “sleep and runner” – the menacing criminal element taunting Bay moteliers.Speaking to BayBuzz, Napier CIB head detective, senior sergeant Bill Gregory, says the Bay hasn’t seen this calibre of sleeping offences since he headed Operation Dawn Breaker in the 70’s, where three members of the notorious Kip and Skip gang were apprehended after snoozing 14 hours straight in a Napier motel.
“Rehabilitation is impossible for this type of criminal,” Bill says. “In prison they simply continue to sleep for free.”
Like many readers, BayBuzz were disturbed by such audacious offending – so we called in a few favours. Yesterday, we received an anonymous tip-off from a Bay View motor inn, and caught one such recidivist in the midst of another crime spree – fast asleep.
After a violent four-hour struggle, where he dribbled, farted and mumbled incoherently, we woke the man, and restrained him in his duvet.
Threatened with room service, he promptly broke down, disclosing the insidious underbelly of the impulsive sleeping community.
Now, earlier in the week, Hastings Moteliers’ Association secretary, Julie Wakefield, was quoted endorsing the new Shared Faces name and shame website, where offenders’ faces are now visible for all to see. “Someone will ring or email me and send information saying `we’ve got a runner’. I flick the information to the other members – it’s our own warning system,” Julie said.
We agree with you Julie. Abolishing offenders’ anonymity is the only option. So, after a day of enforced sleep deprivation, our informant supplied the names of all associated gangs in the Bay; and without fear of reprisal here they are:
The Mighty Mattress Mob (Waipukurau); Beddy – Bye Byes (Flaxmere); Inner-Sprung Chickens (Maraekakaho); Duvet Dashers (Mahia); Snooze and Cruisers (Dannevirke); Root ‘n’ Shooters (Duvet Dasher splinter group).
BayBuzz will update the list as new affiliates are uncovered. No longer will they rest in peace.