Auckland mayoral candidate Leo Molloy is promising a ratepayer-funded downtown police station to protect Aucklanders in the fight against growing crime.
Molloy said if he becomes mayor in October, he will seek support from the 20 councillors and if they don't support him he will pay for the police station out of the mayoral office budget.
There have been growing calls for the return of a permanently manned police station in the central city to combat rising crime and anti-social behaviour.
In March, city centre residents pleaded unsuccessfully for a new station following a shooting in Fort St that left three people seriously injured, including Poull Anderson, the 33-year-old brother of radio host Jay-Jay Feeney.
The former downtown police station in Fort St closed in 2013.
Molloy was responding to today's announcement by Police Minister Poto Williams that the Government will spend $6 million on installing bollards or other protection measures to help shop owners hit hard by ram raids.