Hawkes Bay cities combine to battle alcohol and violence

Hastings and Napier will work together on a new crime prevention initiative which will be a first in New Zealand.

The Ministry of Justice's crime-prevention unit has targeted the two cities to establish a regional curbing alcohol-related violence (CARV) project manager based at Hastings District Council.

Napier and Hastings councils and the crime-prevention unit will meet within the next week to decide on a job description and it is hoped the project will be operating by the end of this year.

The councils will also be speaking with Hawke's Bay District Health Board and the police asking for their input into the project.

Hastings District Council's community development manager, Antoinette Campbell, said a basic outline of the job would include co-ordinating all services involved with preventing alcohol-related crime across the two cities.

"We would hope the project would reduce the impact on police services and help co-ordinate council services better as well," she said.

The crime prevention unit had said it would provide $100,000 per annum, for the two-year term position to cover a salary and set up costs. It is expected the Napier City Council will also make a contribution.

Mrs Campbell said after two years it is envisaged there will be a positive change in the way services are co-ordinated and the project manager's position won't be needed.

"After two years everyone will be working effectively," she said.

The crime-prevention unit has also identified Rotorua and Queenstown as areas where the programme will be set up concurrently with Hastings and Napier.

Project managers from all three areas would also work together.

"We're not saying the crime problem in Hastings and Napier is worse than anywhere else but this project suits the population size we have," she said.

The Napier council's community services committee this week agreed to base the project manager within the council's headquarters.

- NZPA