Rudman's city: Top cop's beady eyes focus on rates money

By BRIAN RUDMAN

Auckland police chief Howard Broad sounded like a child in Santa's cave when he presented his Christmas wish-list to Wednesday's first meeting of Auckland City's ludicrous new law and order committee.

Of course, no modern present list would be complete without the latest in electronic geegaws, and Superintendent Broad's is no exception. Not for him a nice new teak truncheon. What he wants are new digital downtown spy cameras to replace "current technology" models.

Now I seem to recall it not being the technology at fault when the police missed a rape and two beatings - one fatal - in downtown Auckland last summer; it was the lack of anyone to monitor the video screens.

Among Mr Broad's other wishes is a city-financed crime-prevention awards system, complete with medals, certificates and PR hoopla, a late-night drop-in centre for young people and security guards on late-night buses.

His report on ways ratepayers could help police goes on for 30 pages. It seems no one has had the heart to tell him that Mayor John Banks has declared Santa dead as far as the city is concerned and has Scrooge in the form of Sir William Birch busy hacking $25 million of non-core business from the city budget.

With central Government funding for policing perennially inadequate and Auckland short of 120 staff, you have to give Mr Broad full marks for trying. And try he does, as though nothing has happened.

In his introductory remarks, he says: "The differences in traditional focus [between the city council and police] should not constrain the council from taking a significant role in crime reduction and public safety strategies. These may include seeking transparency and accountability for delivery of national government services applied within the city, and in performing a coordinating, encouraging, enabling and communicating function."

Now I don't pretend to understand what all that means, but it smells to me of trying to encourage the council to stray into areas that are not the function of local government. Worse, it is an attempt to enlist city backing for a political agenda which more rightly belongs in a political party election leaflet.

Under the heading "Advocacy-Policy Change", Mr Broad proposes that "changes to a number of laws controlling behaviour in public spaces would assist in reducing the perception of Auckland City as an unsafe place". On his list he includes giving councils the power to permanently ban "the carriage (with intention of consuming) and consumption of alcohol in defined public spaces" and the confiscation of vehicles to somehow curb boy-racers.

He recommends "reconsidering the policy framework related to (1) intoxicated persons, (2) deinstitutionalisation of people with mental disabilities". He advocates "linking national and local government processes to improve compliance with rules. Council-issued permits, for example, should not be issued to people who have outstanding fines".

These proposals are all controversial and political. He seems to be suggesting, for example, that we return to the days of locking up drunks and the mentally problematic. He's entitled to his views, but he's surely stepping over the line by dressing his pitch up in police uniform, then trying to persuade the city council to lobby the public and Government on his or his organisation's behalf.

Some of his proposals are downright scary. He talks of dressing up "government and council workers in public places with highly visible (reflective) outerwear to improve presence of officialdom". He also wants to speed up police response "to emerging quality of life issues" by "better sharing of 'community intelligence'." Here he lists, among other things, brothel-keeping, red-light runners, tinnie houses and youth/alcohol exhibitionism. He seems to be advocating that council staff act as police informers.

Parts I just do not understand at all. Under "community mobilisation", for instance, he argues that "the city council has the ability to highlight and encourage corporate and individual citizens to achieve better standards of behaviour that reduce criminal victimisation and increase public safety". He proposes "targeting of high-risk victims for specific 'encouragement' and facilitation to reduce risk ... "

He also proposes that the council join police to "access communities that are typically alienated from Government and bureaucratic structures. These communities are also typically at high risk of victimisation and offending and include Maori, Pacific peoples, those of Asian descent and migrants". He then throws in "those with alternative lifestyle choices" for good measure, which leaves just about nobody free from Mr Broad's beady eyes, except those who voted for the governing Citrats.

The council agenda recommends the police chief's report be "noted". That, I hope, and no more.