Winz must rethink security

Photo / Greg Bowker

There were three assaults and six serious verbal threats in Bay of Plenty Work and Income branches, including Rotorua, last year.

A total of 23 assaults and 265 threats occurred nationwide with the Canterbury region receiving the most threats and Auckland the most assaults.

The statistics were released to the Rotorua Daily Post by the Ministry of Social Development yesterday following a shooting in Ashburton that left two Work and Income staff dead and one seriously injured.

In response to an Official Information Act request earlier this year, Ministry of Social Development deputy chief executive Debbie Power said the ministry placed a high priority on the safety of its staff and clients.

"Our security policy is an essential component of the ministry's strategy to reduce risks, to staff and clients.

"Abusive or threatening behaviour towards frontline staff is treated very seriously. Staff report all incidents to the security guard in their office and enter the incident in the ministry's incident reporting database."

She said the figures showed a steady increase in serious verbal threats made to Work and Income staff nationwide, but represented less than one per cent of the total number of working age benefit recipients which at June 30, 2013 was 309,782.

Ministry of Social Development chief executive Brendan Boyle said there were security protocols in place at all sites.

"Obviously we will be looking at what else might be needed in these extreme situations."

Some people commenting on the Rotorua Daily Post Facebook page said the changes to benefit policies would result in more violent incidents.

"After reading about the suspect's struggle and seeing there is a strong record of him asking for help, I was shocked. Something needs to change, but it's not the security. Put things back to the way it was and see the mental health rate drop," one said.

But others said there needed to be more security at Work and Income and they wouldn't want their family members working there.

"I think that privacy and security in Winz is a must. Case managers and clients should be in glass cubicles not spread out in the open," said another.