Parking wardens find safety in twos

Parking wardens in Manukau City are patrolling in pairs to protect them from escalating violence and threats.

Two wardens were attacked while on duty during the past week, and a third had car tyres slashed while they were away from the vehicle on patrol.

Manukau City Council parking operations manager Liz Hogan said one warden was punched by a member of the public, and the other was hit by someone leaning out of a moving car.

"The assaults and threats are getting worse," Hogan said.

While it had been a "particularly bad week," there had been about 10 assaults against wardens in the past year.

Staff were trained in conflict resolution and personal safety training, offered counselling after incidents, and all attacks were reported to police.

Having extra staff on duty is expected to bring in an extra $2 million in parking infringements every year, because the wardens will cover ground more quickly while in pairs.

But Hogan said revenue from parking was still expected to be down, partly because more people were not paying fines.

"I think with the economy the way it is, people don't have the money they used to and people are under a lot of stress," said Hogan.

Auckland City Council's acting parking group manager Michelle Teiniker said assaults weren't common, but staff working after 7pm were paired with a security officer.

On the North Shore, transport division group manager Wally Potts said low level verbal abuse was common, but physical assaults were rare.

Waitakere City Council's parking services team leader Colin Waite, who is also the New Zealand Parking Association president, said abuse was a reality for any parking warden in New Zealand.

"While we don't hide the fact that officers get abuse, it's part of the job, we don't accept it, and we will report it to the police."