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A small park in downtown Wellington cost New Zealanders about $ 15 million in social damage over seven years.
A report, released in September, found incidents of crime and antisocial behavior in Te Aro Park, located between Manners and Dixon streets, occurring every hour of every day in the park.
When the report, compiled by the Wellington Police and City Council, was posted on the WCC website, it had eight edited pages.
Monique Ford / Stuff
Wellington City Council is working with partners to implement a series of recommendations identified in a report on safety and damage at Te Aro Park.
The missing pages, released to Things Under the Official Information Law, it included a breakdown of the social cost of Parque Te Aro from 2013 to September 2019.
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Between 2013 and September 19, 2019, the police estimate that the social cost of crime in the park cost $ 14.97 million, for a total of 4427 crimes.
The most common crime during that time was disorder, with 679 incidents, costing $ 2.02 million.
From January of last year to mid-September, the social cost of crime was $ 1.88 million, about $ 7,200 on average per day, with the most common crime (83 incidents) being business robbery.
MONIQUE FORD / Things
Antisocial behavior in the city’s small central park happens every hour of every day, according to a report.
The social cost of crime estimates the expenditures for the public and private sectors that include, for example, lost profits, costs for law enforcement, health authorities, the judicial system and rehabilitation, as a result of the crime.
The report compared data from Te Aro Park and two other parks, Glover Park on Ghuznee St and Waitangi Park on the waterfront.
Te Aro Park accounted for more than a third of all park-related complaints in the city, despite being comparatively much smaller, 2400 m2, compared to Waitangi Park, which is 22,000 m2.
KEVIN’S STENT / THINGS
In the report, homeless service DCM said liquor stores near Te Aro Park attract repeated use of the park for those who wish to drink in public.
“Perhaps one of the most striking statistics is that the Te Aro Park police station accounts for 65.5 percent of the entire Te Aro suburb of police assistance requested by ambulance. [staff]and 23 percent of mental health-related calls for service, ”the report says.
The owner of the Eva Beva bar, adjacent to the park, Greig Wilson, said the cost of the social damage was “astronomical.”
“What if that $ 15 million could have been invested in the park, we could have had a beautiful park, but instead we have this advice, this horrible centerpiece in Wellington? I hope that report doesn’t end up on someone’s bottom. “
Ross Giblin
Maori guardians Joe McLeod and Suzanne Tamaki with Aunt Mere Bird at Te Aro Park. The guards plan to increase their patrols in the central city.
Wilson believed that implementing the report’s recommendations would be a “fraction of the cost.”
“All the councilors have to do is decide something and move on.”
When the report was released, Wellington City Council said it did not have permission to release the data collected by the police.
“The original document was a draft internal working document and was never intended to be released to the public. The intent of the document was to take an evidence-based approach to working with our partners to inform decisions, ”said a spokesperson.
ROSA WOODS / Things
Operation Mahi Ngatahi, which will run through the end of January, has added additional police personnel to patrol high-risk areas in the central city.
Some recommendations from the report have been implemented to improve security in the park, including additional patrols by Maori police and guards, CCTV cameras and better lighting.
City Councilor Tamatha Paul said punitive measures to stop crime are not working.
“For long-term security, we need to support [homeless service] DCM, Zeal and other social services to serve the most vulnerable people in the area. We need to support local groups to activate the park through different activities that invite people to enter and allow people to claim the park as a safe social space ”.
Rosa Woods / Stuff
Councilwoman Tamatha Paul, who also has the city’s security portfolio, said social services need support to serve vulnerable people in the central area of the city.
It was also recommended to recognize the cultural importance of the park for its revitalization.
The park occupies part of a site of cultural importance for Mana Whenua and Wellington, Te Aro Pā.
