Stefan Speller’s The Public Square: Keeping our cities safe

A visible presence on the streets, from police as well as community patrol groups, can be one way of reducing crime.

OPINION

A friend recently asked me to walk him to his car after an event on Broadway. At first I thought it was because he had a lot of equipment to carry, but he expressed that he didn’t feel safe walking across The Square alone.

Parliamentary questions add to this, showing reported retail crime incidents in the Central Region increased from 6112 in 2021 to 8562 in 2022.

In 2022, I asked the Palmerston North City Council candidates how they could address crime, especially in the CBD.

Many first-time candidates said we should work in collaboration with police, and shared their experience working with youth. This is an interesting feature of first-time candidates. They often speak of implementing solutions the council is already doing, or a need to resolve issues the council has very little influence over.

On the other hand, several returning councillors spoke of crime being an issue firmly for police. One even referenced the Crimes Act in response.

I have found both of these types of answers very unsatisfying. For one, the council already works closely with police and has done for years. An example is the Safety Advisery Board meeting every six weeks. This includes the council, police and central government agencies like Oranga Tamariki and Corrections.

Obviously, police have the lead role to play in the direct response to crime. But the council has an essential role in creating environments that prevent crime or allow for quick resolutions.

Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger recently told the Herald “it’s all very well to blame central government. We’ve just got to try as much prevention as we can”.

We can see this in Palmerston North in an upgraded CCTV system, increasing from 27 to 124 cameras. This is a very worthwhile spend and a cost-effective way of identifying and tracking offenders.

Also in the design of open, light-filled spaces. But these spaces don’t immediately increase the feeling of safety.

In the last school holidays, following a period of gang tension and CBD attacks, police increased the number of officers ‘walking the beat’. This did seem to increase the feeling of safety.

Unfortunately, the increase was temporary. As the recent gang shootings have been in the suburbs, police have adjusted their focus and coverage.

The Palmy BID (Business Improvement District) is an organisation funded by council rates from inner-city businesses. They have provided de-escalation training sessions to business owners and contract several “Palmy ambassadors”. The ambassadors work in the CBD with youth, resolving issues and generally being available. In other cities, this role is played by Māori Wardens.

These are good efforts to affirm a sense safety in the CBD, but are entirely preventative measures, effectively toothless, and need to be part of a wider solution.

Christchurch City Council recently hired two guards to provide more CBD security. We need to keep looking at this and providing more firm support in The Square and surrounds, including after hours and later evenings.

We need to keep bridging the gap between the two approaches, with local and central government supporting CBD safety.

Stefan Speller is a governance board chairman, speaker and local government commentator.