[ad_1]
Monique Ford / Stuff
Te Aro Park, formerly known as Pigeon Park, is at the center of a new council report assessing its social harm.
A Wellington central park has become a magnet for “antisocial behavior” in the city, with a new report detailing reports of drug trafficking, violence and sexual assault.
The Wellington City Council report, released Thursday, found “a consistent level of antisocial behavior” at Te Aro Park on Wellington’s Golden Mile, which was higher than other parks in the city center.
Reported behaviors include bullying, violence, defecation, graffiti, stalking, physical harm, aggressive behavior, loud music, drug dealing, and sexual violence.
Some issues were reported every hour of every day at the park.
To combat the problems, the report recommends redesigning or removing the restroom block, removing a nearby bus stop and phone booth, installing crosswalks at Manners and Dixon streets, and eliminating Dixon St parking on the side of the street. from the park.
READ MORE:
* Changes in the way of curbing crime in Wellington Central Park
* Gang members in a nearby emergency shelter linked to antisocial issues in Wellington’s ‘Pigeon Park’
* Wellington City Council trimmer team works overtime while grass grows rapidly
As a result, local business owners and their employees, residents and the public face economic and psychological harm, the report says.
Antisocial behavior in the park has also increased dramatically. Nearly a third of all complaints about the park since 2013 occurred over a nine-month period in 2019, the latest figures available.
Despite being a small area, Te Aro Park accounted for more than a third of all park-related complaints in the city.
The report highlighted that the park’s proximity to 12 bars or bottle shops and the design of the restroom blocks at the site contribute to antisocial behavior.
“The lighting in the park is ineffective and is compounded by the location of the large low hanging tree. The tree hides both line of sight and camera lines and provides a sheltered place for those who gather for social purposes. This, coupled with the infrequent enforcement of the Alcohol Prohibition ordinance, makes the park a very attractive place to drink, ”the report says.
Monique Ford / Stuff
Twelve authorized establishments in the vicinity of Te Aro park were identified as a factor involved in increasing social damage.
Earlier, nearby business owners and employees said they feared for their lives, claiming that sooner or later someone would die in the park, calling it “the elephant in the city room.”
A group of companies have been working together to install more CCTV cameras and provide more support to emergency housing customers.
The report’s recommendations include redesigning or removing the “unsuitable for purpose” toilet block as it hides lines of sight in the area.
The bus shelter on Manners Street was identified as an unsafe “entrapment site” and “should be removed,” according to the report.
It was also recommended to install crosswalks at Manners and Dixon streets to improve safe access to the park and to eliminate Dixon Street parking on the park side of the street, to allow a better view of the park from surrounding buildings.
Rosa Woods / Stuff
Restoring the mana of Te Aro Park is important, says Councilor Tamatha Paul.
The elimination of the Spark phone booth, which creates blind spots, regular cleaning and water jetting, and the recognition of the park’s cultural importance were also discussed as solutions.
Behavior changes identified to ameliorate antisocial problems include an increase in food and coffee carts that could attract more pedestrians and “legitimate users” to the space, and community-led activities such as community gardens.
Pukehīnau / Lambton Ward City Councilor Tamatha Paul previously said the park was of historical significance to local iwi as it marked a section of a major Maori pa in Wellington, Te Aro, and restoring its mana was important. .
Paul, who has the city’s safety portfolio, says she’s committed to delivering recommendations and working with stakeholders to make sure they’re happy.
“From a political perspective, it is important that we commit the funds in the long-term plan, so that we can comply with the recommendations.”
Councilmember Nicola Young has called the park a “magnet for crime.”
“It is the epicenter of everything that is wrong late at night. Everything bad in Wellington happens there. “
