Central government and Auckland Council have announced today a joint plan to tackle low-level crime and anti-social behaviour in Auckland's CBD through the establishment of safety hubs.
These hubs are modelled on the "highly successful" safety hub originally set up at Queens Wharf by Heart of the City for the Women's FIFA World Cup, Minister for Auckland Carmel Sepuloni said.
Three more hubs will be established at High St, Queen St and Karangahape Rd, and the temporary Queens Wharf hub will be made permanent.
These will be open to the public — able to provide assistance and respond quickly to minor incidents — while serving as bases for community patrols and Māori and ethnic wardens, augmenting police resources in key spots and helping to make Central Auckland feel more safe.
"Police will always be the first responders to crime, but these wardens and Community Patrollers are able to deal with lower-level anti-social behaviour, which will free up police time to deal with more serious crime," Minister of Police Ginny Andersen said.
"In addition, police have significantly increased the number of foot patrols by 243 per cent in Auckland's city centre over the past year and established a new base to assist with their increased foot patrols."
Sepuloni said the safety hub established as part of the FIFA Women's World Cup was a "real success", and it received "great feedback from Aucklanders, including that it provided a tangible community safety presence."
The announcement claimed these safety hubs are expected to be established by the end of next month, with $100,000 in Government funding to be matched by another $100,000 from Auckland Council to pay for them.
If they prove to be successful, Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown said further funding could be made available.
Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson added that Aucklanders deserve to feel safe and "we welcome any initiative that gives people confidence to spend time in the city centre".
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