“We’ve had a significant increase in theft and burglary. We’re also seeing more acts with an intent to cause injury and that is clearly a concern.
“There is a general sense, and the numbers support the growth in crime, but also the sentiment. We do test sentiment and we know that there is concern around safety.”
Police data showed the city centre and city-fringe suburbs recorded more than 50,000 reports of victims of crime in the four years from February 2019 - several thousand more than any other area in Auckland.
Heart of the City’s $620,000 spend was 13 per cent of its total funding, and included hiring 15 private security guards and expanding its CCTV network.
Beck expected to spend more this year.
“There is a frustration that some things do not get a response. I think also, even though I know the police are trying really hard to increase their presence on the beat and they have done that, it is still not to the degree that would give people comfort that there are sufficient police around.”
Information provided to her under the Official Information Act showed the number of officers in the downtown public safety team had risen by four, to 99, since 2007.
“The numbers show that there hasn’t been a material increase in the number of police on our streets in the last 16 years, and the data we have around the number of people we have on our streets has grown significantly in that time, so that is an issue.”
Police Minister Ginny Anderson said there were new recruits on the beat in the city.
“Those decisions on where to put police are for the commissioner of police to decide. I’m really pleased that we’ve got 1800 additional police officers and a good share of those have gone to Auckland.”
Auckland’s second-largest business district, Newmarket, spent $500,000 on security in the year to July. Its business association collects close to $2 million in funding from targeted rates each year.
Chief executive Mark Knoff-Thomas said they were battling constant crime on their streets, and now employed four full-time security guards.
“There have been some gaps between the police’s ability to prioritise some of the lower-level crime that’s been going on in town centres around New Zealand. As a response, security providers in town centres are kind of like first responders and can be first on hand to help deal with situations as they arise.”
It’s estimated 50,000 people live in the central city. Antony Phillips, a spokesperson for City Central Residents Group, said the private security force was needed - but it was only a stopgap.
“Those are bandaid issues, they’re not forever and not sustainable either. Our residents group feel that we would have a much more sustainable effort to bring about improved local safety if we had a full-time police presence.”
In 2013 the police station on Fort St closed, and Phillips would like the downtown station reopened.
Beck said more police on the street was crucial for safety.
“We all play our part because we want to have a safe city, but ultimately it’s police that people look to, particularly with crime.”
She was due to meet with the police minister on Friday.
