Western Bay of Plenty District Council's head office on Barkes Corner in Tauranga. Photo / File
Western Bay of Plenty District Council's head office on Barkes Corner in Tauranga. Photo / File
A repeat offender who allegedly assaulted a library staff member was the only person trespassed from Western Bay of Plenty District Council property in the past year.
The November 2019 incident was recorded by the council and obtained by the Bay of Plenty Times through an official information request tofind out how many people had been banned from council facilities under the Trespass Act and why.
The person was banned from entering the Katikati Library and Service Centre - Pātuki Manawa - for two years for breaching an existing trespass. The person had originally been trespassed following an alleged assault on a staff member in April 2018.
The council has seven facilities; two animal shelters and five area offices including Pātuki Manawa.
In 2018/19, a person drinking in the Te Puke Library and carpark and another who verbally abused staff were banned from the council property.
The incidents both took place at the library and carpark area in May 2018 and were the only examples of the council trespassing people that year.
Each person was banned from entering the property for two years. Neither were repeat offenders.
Council group manager of people and customer services Jan Pedersen said the council provided a range of facilities, parks and reserves designed for public use.
"If there is an incident, council acts appropriately in accordance with relevant policies and health and safety requirements and takes all practicable measures to continually monitor possible hazards and risks."
In Rotorua, seven people were banned from Rotorua Lakes Council facilities in 2019/20. In 2018/19, there were 15, reported Local Democracy Reporting.
One ban, in August 2019, was for vaping in the library and "non-compliance to repeated requests to stop swearing, raising voice, [and] shoes on furniture".
Brett Wilson from Watchdog Securities. Photo / File
"[It] caused customers and staff to feel unsafe and uncomfortable," according to the information released.
In January this year, one person was banned for an "alleged over-familiar conversation with a female library staff member" and another for attempting to break into the library on a weekend.
One person had their ban from the library extended for another two years when they breached the first ban.
WatchDog Security chief executive Brett Wilson said his company helped council staff on about a weekly basis by removing people from council facilities or controlling situations until the police arrived.
WatchDog Security operates in both Tauranga and Rotorua.
Wilson said there was one instance at the Rotorua library involving a young person with a knife.
He believed the library's proximity to the bus stop might account for the concentration of incidents there.
