Napier City Council abuse reports triple as mayor warns behaviour ‘not on’

Napier Mayor Richard McGrath said the council fully supported its staff, who did not deserve the abuse directed at them by a growing number of members of the public.

Reports of abuse towards Napier City Council staff from members of the public have tripled in a year and Mayor Richard McGrath says it’s not a good look for the city.

McGrath said staff came to work to do their best, to keep the city looking nice and to help it run well.

“They are not the most highly paid workers and certainly don’t come to work to get harassed and abused,” he said.

Abuse incident reports tripled to 152 in the three months from November 1, 2025 to January 31, 2026, compared with 50 during the same period the year before.

They included incidents of verbal abuse and aggressive language towards staff from customers at public facilities.

A council spokesperson said incidents also included visitors to aquatic facilities ignoring lifeguard instructions, breaking rules, littering and damaging property.

“Over the past few months, staff have been encouraged to report incidents to help the council understand patterns and identify areas needing attention.”

McGrath said politicians often copped abuse, but staff out on the street should be left alone to do their jobs.

“I haven’t experienced it, but I know some elected members in the past have.”

He said he liked getting out in the community and most people were great.

“It’s our job not to hide and I’m always happy to answer questions and chat.

“In fact, my kids stopped coming out with me years ago because a 10-minute trip often turned into an hour.”

A council spokesperson said it had hired a training provider to help staff manage challenging interactions.

“This training equips staff with practical techniques to manage challenging or confrontational behaviour safely and effectively, including knowing when it is appropriate to step away from a situation.

“The training is tailored to each facility, addressing the specific situations staff are most likely to encounter in their day-to-day work.”

McGrath said the council fully supported its staff.

“This behaviour is unacceptable, and those responsible should be aware that it could lead to serious consequences, including prosecution.”

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.