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Wellington’s nightlife district has the highest proportion of assault and sexual assault crimes in New Zealand.
The reported assaults in Wellington centered on the Cuba-Courtenay compound, according to an analysis by Dot Loves Data.
Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King
An analysis of the country’s crime statistics by Dot Loves Data shows that the assault rate in Wellington is 10 times higher than the national average.
It considered all reported crimes over a five-year period, and found that in the capital there were 2,056 counts of assault and 176 counts of sexual assault reported.
Those crimes focused on the Cuba-Courtenay compound, which comprises most of the city’s nightlife and bars.
“[In] Wellington, assaults and sexual assaults stand out, “said Dot Loves Data Governance Director Justin Lester.
“It makes a bit of sense, it’s probably the densest place where you see a lot of drinking and a lot of young people hanging out in a space, so it’s ripe for people to take aim, but it’s not good.”
The data analysis will be uploaded to a crime dashboard where organizations and authorities can use it.
It also showed that assaults and sexual assaults increased between 12 a.m. and 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.
“Generally for the city, it’s not something that people want to see,” Lester said. “They want to feel safe if they go out. They want to have fun. Parents want to know that their teens or young adults are going to be safe.
“It’s something you want to see an analysis on and implement some initiatives to improve the situation.”
Courtenay Place, Wellington’s stretch of bars, clubs and restaurants and fast food outlets, has been on the police radar, particularly since the start of the shutdown.
They have repeatedly warned of the behavior of the people there and have noticed an increase in serious violence.
Initiatives are being used to try to stop the violence that erupts in the wee hours of the weekend. Take 10, a late-night safe zone, has been awarded additional funding to extend its work to Friday and Saturday nights.
In addition, a nightly forum has been re-established to carry out a coordinated campaign between police, volunteers and hospitality to curb the violence.
While Wellington has more assaults and sexual assaults, other cities have a higher number of crimes.
Hamilton Central had the highest total number of violations, at 9921, while the Queen Street district in Auckland CBD was at 9521.
For both cities, the most frequent crimes were robbery and shoplifting.
The data also showed that there is a strong correlation between crime rates and levels of deprivation in communities, with 10 times more homicides in New Zealand’s most economically disadvantaged suburbs compared to wealthy areas.
