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Papakura's $12 million police station is closing its doors early and will no longer offer a 24-hour service - a move that has angered locals.
From next Friday, the Papakura Central station in Wood St will open at 7am and shut at 7pm.
The early closing is said
to be the result of longer opening hours at the Manukau police station, a reason that has not gone down well with Papakura residents.
Last week, vandals hit stores in one of Papakura's main shopping areas on Great South Rd, smashing windows with cobblestone bricks and causing up to $20,000 of damage.
A retail worker in one of the stores, who did not want to be named for fear of retribution, said the lack of police had led to crime in the area.
"There's no security and criminals are taking advantage of it," she said. "We've had snatch-and-grabs and it's because there's no security."
Tomorrow, unhappy locals - including members of the Papakura District Council - will march in front of the police station to show their disapproval of the shorter hours.
Store owners and workers from the vandalised stores will also be present, the shop assistant said.
"We've got a very flash police building and it's not in use. It's stupid."
Papakura Mayor Calum Penrose, who will also be at tomorrow's march, said the police station cost $12 million and was built to cover the whole Manukau area. "But then the station in Manukau popped its little eyes out and Manukau gets everything, Papakura gets nothing."
Mr Penrose acknowledged that crime rates in Manukau were probably greater than in Papakura and required a greater police presence, but the early closing was still unfair to residents in Papakura.
"People have the right to walk down the street feeling safe. The people of Papakura want to have the [police station] desk manned at least."
Clevedon MP Judith Collins said many Papakura residents had told her of their concern at the lack of a 24-hour police service.
"If you have something to report, you'll have to go up the road to Manukau. It's not always good to go to the police station and be told to come back tomorrow."
Some residents had volunteered to occupy the police station desk themselves, to make up for the police service lost, Ms Collins said.
Senior Sergeant Andrew Judson of Papakura Central said closing earlier did not mean there was a lack of police patrolling the streets.
"That's the common misconception. We still operate from the station and there is still the same number of staff going out. The only differenceis that we don't have a person at the desk."
