Fed up with petty crime by local youth, residents in Manurewa's Randwick Park met local police and city councillors on Tuesday to find a solution.  Among them were Karen Fraser, Nancy Peihopa and Waina Kapa who got to know each other after petitioning for improvements to the local park together last year.

"We look out for each other and if something happens we let each other know," Ms Fraser says.

"And right now we see a need in the area and we are working together to address it," Ms Peihopa says.

Crime has fallen significantly in the street in the past few years but there's still graffiti and vandalism, Ms Kapa says.

"I was brought up believing that if you were caught painting on someone's fence you had to go to their house and do their chores to pay back what you'd done and earn back their respect."

Now they want to organise activities for 12 to 17-year-olds to "keep their hands occupied", she says...

Visit stuff.co.nz to read the full story from the Manukau Courier.