John MacDonald: Shopping for trouble at the mall

“There are dropkicks everywhere”.

That's what someone said to me when we were talking about this situation around Eastgate Mall.

This person I was talking to goes to Eastgate all the time and they were saying that they feel more  nervous going to Riccarton Mall.

And I agreed with them. Sometimes the atmosphere outside Riccarton Mall can be pretty threatening.

Which is why I think there is a strong argument for police to have a permanent presence not just around Eastgate - but all the big malls.  

Riccarton’s one of them where I think there is a definite need. That might be because, of all the malls, that would be the one I go to most often.

So why Eastgate is in the news today, is that the owner of five shops in the area around the mall has had a gutsful after having to call the police 70 times during the last three months.

He’s called them for all sorts of things - assaults, drug use, attempted break-ins, vandalism and loitering - but they haven’t always turned up. And that’s got local community leaders saying the police need to be stationed in the area permanently.

Which they used to be. But it seems they've been diverted to the foot patrols in the central city.

Which are great - and very noticeable.

Just the other day, I was in the centre of town and a couple of cops walked past me. I turned the corner and there were two more walking towards me.

So that’s brilliant. But it seems that it may have come at the expense of places like around Eastgate Mall - going by what this landlord is saying today and what the local community board leader and local city councillor are saying.

City councillor Yani Johanson and the head of the local community board, Paul McMahon, both reckon that the strife around Eastgate could have something to do with officers being reassigned to the CBD.

“We need the community policing team back”. That’s what McMahon is saying.

He’s saying: “There was a Phillipstown policing team, which included Eastgate, and the community constables were a regular presence.”

He goes on to say: “But the new government re-prioritised police to beat policing, and that means more police in the central city and fewer police for places like Eastgate.”

City councillor Yani Johanson is singing from the same song sheet. He says he goes to Eastgate often and he's aware and concerned about the anti-social behaviour going on there.

He says more needs to be done and having more of a police presence is something people would welcome.

I bet it would. But, like I say, if you’re going to have more cops at Eastgate - you need to do it elsewhere too.

Problem is, though, police resourcing.

As Inspector Glenda Barnaby puts it - she’s the metro area prevention manager - she's saying today that police can’t be everywhere, all the time.

Which is a fair point. She’s also saying today that what she calls “vigilant reporting” from the public is key to the police being able to respond and do something about bad behaviour.

But tell that to the guy in the news today who has called them 70 times in the last three months     

The thing is - whether we like it or not - malls have become central meeting points in communities.

Back in the day, people would congregate in places like your old town squares.

These days, people go to malls to congregate as much as anything. And wherever people congregate in large numbers - you're going to get all sorts, aren't you?

Which is why I agree with these two council guys who want a heavier police presence at Eastgate. But I’m saying don’t stop there and do the same around all the big malls in Christchurch.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Canterbury Mornings podcast with John McDonald
from News Talk ZB.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
There are drop kicks everywhere. There are drop kicks everywhere.
That's what someone said to me earlier this morning when
we were talking about the situation around Eastgate Mall. And
this person I was talking to goes to Eastgate all
the time, and they were saying they feel more threatened,
they feel more nervous going to Rickeden Mall than going

(00:33):
to Eastgate, and I agree with them. Sometimes the atmosphere
at Rickiten, I would say most of the time, actually
it can be pretty threatening, especially in the area around
the mall, which is why I think there's a strong
argument for police to have a permanent presence not just
around Estgate, but around all the big malls in town.

(00:57):
Rickedden's one of them where I think there is a
definite need. That might be because of all the malls,
that's the one I go to most often, and like
this person I was talking to this morning, Ricketen Mall
is definitely pretty dodgy at times. Granted that I don't
go to Eastgate as often as a go to Rickarton.
What are the malls we got Northlands of course home

(01:21):
base was there a couple of weeks back. Things seemed
pretty orderly there. I don't go to Hornby Mall all
that often, but that's become massive as well, hasn't it.
And I bet they've got their fair share of problems
there as well. So why is Eastgate in the news today?
What's in the news today because the owner of five
shops in the area around the mall is the landlord.

(01:44):
He's had a complete guts full after having to call
the police seventy times during the last three months, and
he's called them for all sorts of things assaults, drug use,
attempt to break ins, vandalism, loitering. Well, he says he's
called them seventy times, but they haven't always turned up.

(02:06):
So that's got local community leaders saying, Look, the police
need to be stationed permanently in the Eastgate area, which
they used to be, but it seems that they have
been diverted to the foot patrols in the central city,
which by the way, are great and very noticeable. Just
the other day, I was in the center of town.

(02:27):
A couple of cops walked past me. Turn the corner.
They're two more walking towards me. On the beat. So
that's brilliant, but it seems that it may have come
at the expense of places like around Eastgate east Gate Moore.
Going by what this landlord's saying today and what the
local community board leader and what the local city councilor

(02:48):
are saying. I'm going to talk to one of them shortly,
but I'm keen to get your views on how safe
you feel, not just around Eastgate but the other malls
in town as well, and whether you think more police
patrols are needed. So City Councilor Yanni Johansen and the
head of the local Community Board, Paul McMahon, both reckon
that the strife around the Eastgate area could have something

(03:12):
to do with the officers being reassigned to the CBD.
We need the community policing team back, that's what Paul
McMahon's saying. He's saying, quote, there was a Phillipstown policing
team which included Eastgate and the community constables were a
regular presence. He goes on to say, quote, but the
new government reprioritized police to beat policing, and that means

(03:33):
more police in the central city and fewer police for
places like Estkate and Yai your Hansome. He's singing from
the same song sheet. He says he goes to Eastgate
all the time and he's aware and concerned about the
anti social behavior going on there. As a quote from him,
he says, quite more needs to be done. Having more
of a police presence is something people would welcome. Well,

(03:54):
I bet it would, Bet it would. But like I say,
if you're going to have more cops at Eastgate, you
need to do it elsewhere as well. Problem is what
what's the problem? Police resourcing Inspector Glen de Barnaby puts it.
She's the Metro Area of Prevention manager. She's saying today
that the police can't be everywhere all the time. Fair point.

(04:16):
She's also saying today that what she calls vigilant reporting
from the public is key to the police being able
to respond and do something about bad behavior around malls.
But tell that to the guy in the news today
at Escape who's called them seventy times in the last
three months. And the thing is, whether we like it

(04:37):
or not, malls have become central meeting points and communities,
haven't they Back in the day, And I'm talking really
back in the day, maybe not even in New Zealand.
New Zealand as well. But back in the day, people
would congregate in places like your old town's squares, wouldn't they.
These days people go to the malls to congregate as

(04:59):
much as anything. And I always go there to get
something from Kmart. Congregate there and wherever people congregate in
large numbers, you're gonna get all sorts of stuff happening,
aren't you. All sorts of people and all sorts of
stuff happening. You know, when I was a kid growing
up in Dunedin, it was the main Street or the
Octagon on a Friday night where you go to hang out.

(05:20):
These days it's the mall, not just on Friday night,
day and night, seven days a week. And that's why
I agree with these two council guys who want a
heavy police presence at Escape, but I'm saying, don't stop
there and do the same around all the big malls
in Christchurch.

Speaker 1 (05:38):
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