KEY POINTS:
Auckland's ethnic groups are invited to have their say on crime and listen to a police "action plan" for keeping them safe at meetings on the North Shore and at Greenlane tomorrow.
Ethnic Council national president Pancha Narayanan says these forums, which will also be held in Wellington, Rotorua and Invercargill, aim to draw up "six key action points" on crime and safety for communities to work with the police.
"The forum is to give people in the immigrant communities a chance to say what they like. We are not interested in their personal circumstances, but issues facing the wider community, and to work jointly with the police towards a plan for better law and order in our communities."
The law and order forums have been organised by the Ethnic Council after several high-profile murders and a kidnapping in Auckland in which all the victims were Asian.
In July, more than 10,000 people, mainly Asians, protested against what they perceived to be New Zealand's soft approach to law and order, and Asians being the target for crime and violence.
North Shore Multi Ethnic Council president Ray Annamalai said Asians sometimes "made themselves easy targets for criminals" by continuing to "carry loads of cash".
"Instead of pointing the fingers and blaming each other, we want to see how we can work together with the police. The forum aims to also be a starting point to build this relationship," said Mr Annamalai, who says crime will be one of the main concerns affecting ethnic voters this election.
Tomorrow's meetings will be at the Bayview Community Centre in Glenfield at 9.30am and the Jack Dickey Community Hall at Greenlane at 2.30pm.
Police ethnic liaison officer Min Lee says Superintendent Wallace Haumaha, the national manager for Maori, Pacific and ethnic services, will deliver the police intent and action plan.
"Ethnic minorities sometimes feel vulnerable because of a language barrier, but I think blaming the police for not doing enough is unfair. We are doing all we can. The only way to fight crime is for us to work together," he said.
Police ethnic perceptions research earlier this year found issues ethnic communities were most concerned about were burglary, racial harassment, juvenile issues such as street violence, drinking, drugs, vandalism and car theft, business-related crime such as shoplifting, and gambling.
The Ministry of Social Development and Office of Ethnic Affairs are also organising a series of crime prevention expos throughout Auckland targeting ethnic communities.
