Auckland crime: Safety hubs to address theft, anti-social behaviour in CBD

Community Patrols of New Zealand's Gurdeep Talwar and Māori Warden Joanne Paikea stand in front of the safety hub in Queens Wharf. Photo / Jason Oxenham

Four publicly accessible safety hubs will be set up in Auckland’s CBD to address a falling perception of security that’s led to the deputy mayor admitting she never feels safe walking alone in her city.

The Weekend Herald can reveal a unique partnership between the Government and Auckland Council to spend $100,000 each building three replicas of the safety hub installed on Queen’s Wharf for the Fifa Women’s World Cup.

The hubs, to be established by the end of next month, will be installed at sites along High St, Queen St and Karangahape Rd.

They will be staffed by different volunteer groups, including Māori wardens and Community Patrols of New Zealand, which will work alongside police liaisons and a paid hub coordinator.

Members of the public can approach volunteers on the street or at the hubs if they feel unsafe. It will then decided whether wardens or police are more appropriate to respond to the situation.

The funding will ensure the hubs operate for six to 12 months with the possibility of extension if they are deemed to be providing value.

Minister for Auckland Carmel Sepuloni speaks with Gurdeep Talwar from Community Patrols of New Zealand, within the currently established hub. Photo / Jason Oxenham.

Ngāti Whātua Orākei Māori Wardens unit manager Joanne Paikea told the Herald arresting people with mental health issues causing disruption in the CBD wasn’t always the best solution.

“You can just manaaki [nurture] them ... and just work with the officers, there’s a better approach when handling whānau needing support.”

She welcomed the establishment of hubs, saying it would make city security more coordinated and visible.

Te Arawa Māori Wardens unit manager Vera Turner was supportive of the initiative but hoped it would be properly resourced.

“I reckon it’s a good idea, but I hope the Māori Wardens don’t get left in the lurch by themselves.

“The police don’t give enough support for them, for our druggies and our drinkers that are out there.

“So that will be good for them to be able to come somewhere and get the help they need.”

Auckland deputy mayor Desley Simpson admitted she didn’t feel safe while walking in Auckland’s CBD.

“I don’t like walking through the city myself at night,” she said.

However, she was confident the hubs would have an impact and promised to set them up in other suburbs if they were successful.

Police and Justice Minister Ginny Andersen said she’d spent many days in Auckland and while she felt safe, she acknowledged it did not feel “like a Kiwi city” and felt more akin to America.

“It feels a bit grimy, there are some dark corners that aren’t well lit up [and] families might not want to go there.

“I think there’s a whole range of factors that are contributing to that feeling in Auckland and everyone’s in agreement that we can do a whole lot better.”

Police and Justice Minister Ginny Andersen wants Auckland to be less "grimy". Photo / Mark Mitchell

Andersen was reluctant to apportion blame on why the city was in its current state, but she said it could be turned around with buy-in from the various stakeholders.

“If the business community gets in behind it, if Auckland Council wants to lift the game of that area, we can all work together to make it feel much better than what it does right now.”

She referenced further potential improvements by council to make areas more public-friendly, including installing lights and opening up spaces for food trucks or coffee carts.

“I’m really keen to see what a difference having a visible presence of wardens in that area and also to see what else Auckland Council is doing to clean it up a bit.”

Police foot patrols had increased by 243 per cent over the past year in response to rising concerns of crime in the CBD. Andersen said she’d received no indication from the Area Commander that foot patrols would reduce after the establishment of the hubs.

Minister for Auckland Carmel Sepuloni said the decision to install hubs was partly informed by current perceptions of public safety in the city centre.

“We want the city to be perceived as safe, we want it to be thriving, we want people to feel that they can bring their families into the city.”

She said the anti-social behaviour wardens were likely to help manage included actions exhibited by people with mental health or addiction issues.

“Sometimes it’s shouting in a way that can come across as aggressive and scary to your average punter who’s just walking down the street.”

Sepuloni said it was planned wardens would be able to connect those people to mental health or addiction services after de-escalating the immediate situation.