Police said Christchurch centre was actually safer than Auckland's and Wellington's. File photo / Bay of Plenty Times
Police said Christchurch centre was actually safer than Auckland's and Wellington's. File photo / Bay of Plenty Times
KEY POINTS:
More than half the Christchurch population believes the city centre is unsafe after dark, according to a survey.
Almost all Christchurch residents (98 per cent) said they felt safe in their homes during the day, the 2006 Quality of Life survey found, and 96 per cent said theyfelt safe at home during the night.
But 58 per cent of residents reported feeling unsafe in the central city during night hours.
Mayor Garry Moore acknowledged there was a perception the city centre was unsafe, but he said Christchurch City Council had several projects under way to improve the perceived safety in the central city and was working closely with police.
Canterbury police district commander Superintendent Sandra Manderson said Christchurch's city centre was in fact "far safer" at night than those in Auckland or Wellington.
Police figures showed the rate of recorded violent offences per 10,000 people in Christchurch was 91.3, compared with 132 in Auckland and 131.8 in Wellington.
Ms Manderson blamed alcohol for instances of violence and disorder in central Christchurch.
She said police were concerned about the perceived levels of violence in the city and was working through "various strategies" to address the issue.
The survey showed that 91 per cent of residents believed their overall quality of life was good or extremely good.
A majority (68 per cent) said they had pride in the look and feel of their city.
The feeling of pride equated to the city's image as "clean and green".
Almost two-thirds of Christchurch residents said they believed ethnic diversity made the city a better place to live.
National figures from the survey, which is part of an ongoing series started in 2002, were scheduled to be released today.
It comprised telephone interviews with 500 people from each of the 12 cities involved.
