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Private security guards could patrol Manukau streets if a proposal to the city council is accepted.
Residents will be asked to approve the scheme, which was prompted by a series of high-profile crimes.
A proposal to have guards - in addition to the police - keeping watch around the city has been put forward for consideration in Manukau City Council's 2009-19 long-term plan.
Public consultation will now take place to determine whether residents are prepared to pay up to $3 million of ratepayers' money to have the guards patrolling the streets.
The money would go towards having three teams of five - a total of 15 guards - posted at different parts of the city 24 hours every day of the week.
Councillor Dick Quax, the community safety portfolio leader, first proposed the idea to the council in July after a spate of crime in the area resulted in three high-profile deaths.
Mr Quax said many residents had approached him about the need for better security because of the lack of police in the Manukau area.
"If we had enough police then we would've left it to the police. [But] we just don't have the numbers."
He said the council had spent a considerable amount of money in other ways to keep the community safe, but private security was the next step up. "I do believe that it is something that we [Manukau City Council] need to do. The prime role of government is to provide protection for citizens and their property. I think the feeling - especially in Manukau - is that they've fallen down on us."
A recommendation has also been made for Manukau City Council to seek funding from the Government to go towards more security measures.
Police Minister Annette King said she supported anything that would help boost security and make for a safer community - as long as private security was teamed up with local police. "Anything that helps police, whether it be local authorities working with Maori and Pacific wardens or private security - that's great. As long as it's in partnership with the police."
Ms King acknowledged that there had been progress within the Manukau area, in terms of security.
"The Counties Manukau district has got more police than it's ever had before. As a government [I'm] pleased that they've been able to get more police in," she said.
But Manurewa councillor Daniel Newman said he was "disgusted" that a small council body was being forced to take extreme action to keep its community safe because central government had not. He said local residents were already paying taxes with the expectation that the money would be used to get police working to keep people safe from criminal activity.
Mr Newman said: "Frankly, it's disgusting that the Government has left it for so long and now local council has to address it."
