Police are working with council staff to address Whakatāne’s homelessness issue, according to the local crime prevention manager.

Senior Sergeant Cam MacKinnon said a particular focus point was the congregation near the Boon Street public toilets.

He said he worked closely with a Whakatāne District Council community safety advisor on a regular basis.

“We’re always looking at new initiatives and options.”

They looked to move on people hanging around the public toilets to ensure they remained accessible to the general public.

Mr MacKinnon said he wanted the public to be reassured they could report errant behaviour to the police.

“The toilets should be accessible and available 24/7 to the general public. The reality is that we still have the homeless congregating in town.”

A lean-to awning at the back of a business on The Strand is due to be dismantled this week after intervention from the police.

“That will be unfortunate for those homeless people, but the reality is they were storing and piling their gear up against the building, which actually voids the fire insurance for that building,” Mr MacKinnon said.

Already in place to support locals is the Orange Sky mobile laundry service, which launched in August.

Orange Sky partnered with Waiariki Whānau Mentoring and received support from Whakatāne District Council and BayTrust on an eight-month trial basis.

“That’s a good initiative that we hope to increase,” Mr MacKinnon said.

“We’re always looking for initiatives to help get our homeless people off the streets, but from time to time we do have them in town. I need to hear from the public about any issues we have with them.”