Recently, the Government announced its move to allow individuals to make citizen’s arrests. I am really concerned about this.
Locally, where individuals have intervened and put themselves at risk to prevent crimes, we have had tragedies including a death.
Community safety is not going to be improved by making individual shopkeepers and workers responsible for detaining shoplifters. This is a reckless abandonment of these workers and business owners by the Government and it will lead to further tragedy.
Addressing crime and community safety issues is crucial and the fix is complex, but it has got to be communal not individual. We should provide better support across the likes of council, Police, business groups and resident groups.
We need organisation of communities and facilities like community centres, libraries, lighting and even security guards. We don’t need lone individuals risking their lives or the lives of their workers.
In my role as the MP for Mt Albert, I have met a lot of people who have experienced violence, both here and sometimes in their home countries before moving to New Zealand. We have lots of people in our community who are traumatised by these experiences and I have become very aware that many are running our small businesses or working on the front lines, such as retail workers in our supermarkets. When they are subject to racial abuse or physical attacks from a shoplifter, it must be taken extremely seriously because the impact on the workers and customers cannot be underestimated.
I’ve been concerned that some of our businesses that are hotspots for risk have been patchy in their response – for example supermarkets, which sell alcohol. Some have been great at supporting their staff and customers with security while others have not.
Often, small businesses can’t afford that protection and need to collectivise. In some suburbs, that has happened with remarkable success, while others have not yet formed business associations or Business Improvement Districts (BIDs). These are able to provide better lighting, CCTV and the kind of upkeep which makes a shopping area feel and become safer.
The problem in most areas which suffer from what’s often called the ‘broken windows’ phenomenon is that there is a lack of collective response. Poor organisation leads to a run-down feel, which attracts disorder and perpetuates itself. You can see this in Pt Chev at present.
Constituents regularly tell me it feels unsafe and report anti-social behaviour. I live just down the road in Sandringham, and I am frequently there and witness behaviour that is scary.
In Sandringham, the community spirit is noticeably different from a few years ago. The community has responded to the tragedy of the Rose Cottage stabbing by improving lighting and CCTV and also has many well organised events often run by SPiCE, the Sandringham Project in Community Empowerment. The area does not have a BID, but the Sandringham Business Association does a great job.
The good news is that Pt Chev is about to get a temporary library and a new supermarket. Hopefully, both will be designed to support the need for community safety. I am an advocate for libraries becoming more inclusive community hubs for everyone. I doubt it’s a coincidence that where there has been a derelict library, the community has felt less safe.
I’m hosting a public meeting on community safety on 2 May. I will be posting more information (including the location) on my social media page. (HELEN WHITE)
helen.white@parliament.govt.nz
www.labour.org.nz/HelenWhite
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