Viv Beck: Heart of the City CEO on the drop in retail crime in the Auckland CBD

A coordinated response between the Police and Auckland Council is being credited for a steep drop in retail crime in the CBD.  

The number of thefts and burglaries has fallen 50% since January last year.  

Heart of the City Chief Executive Viv Beck says while some haven't seen it yet, there's been a noticeable decrease.  

She told Ryan Bridge the next step is tackling anti-social behaviour.  

Beck says there needs to be more mental health and health resources thrown at the problem. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
And a glimmer of hope on the crime front for
our country's best known street, Queen Street and the Auckland CBD.
The latest police figures from April to June this year
show that theft and burglary and the CBD are down
thirty four percent on the same period last year. The
council is about to chuck some more money through a
targeted rate at safety. Do we believe the stats? Some

(00:21):
in the city say they don't. Vivbeck is with Heart
of the City Chief Executive. Good morning, good morning, Good
to have you on the show. Viv Do you believe
these stats? I mean, is that what you see when
you walk around the CBD.

Speaker 2 (00:33):
Oh, we definitely see improvement. I think the big thing
is we've been wanting to see a coordinated cross agency approach,
not as police but also the social development, health housing
and that is the difference. We've actually got that happening now.
We've wanted to see it for about three years and
the crime is tracking down. I know not everyone will

(00:54):
see it yet, but the reality is it has significantly
improved and it's really there's some urgency turpos to the
work and we're really pleased about that.

Speaker 1 (01:03):
Some reckon some local landlords reckon that people just aren't
even bothering to report the crime, and that's what's behind
the decrease.

Speaker 2 (01:11):
I think there definitely has been that, and I think
people did get pretty disillusioned when police didn't come, particularly
in the worst of it, through that COVID and post
COVID period, and there is likely to be still some
of that. We're encouraging people to report at all, whether
it's a criminal act or an antisocial or whatever it is,

(01:32):
it needs to be reported, so there's clear data about
what's happening. But it is significantly improved. I know not
everyone is seeing it yet, but certainly what I'm seeing,
what I'm hearing from a lot of people has significantly improved.

Speaker 1 (01:46):
I go to CBD quite a lot. I think you're right,
it has improved somewhat. But you still see these people
wandering around, you know, in broad daylight, just paying on
the street, or being a bit out grow or yelling
and shouting. I mean, so if it's where are all
these people going?

Speaker 2 (02:02):
Do you know? That is the social side which really
does still need We still need more support, for example,
on the mental health. That's one of the things we've
really been wanting to see. So the health needs to
really come to the party here as well. Although people
locally are doing everything they can, there's effort going to
housing people. I think there's also a stronger focus on

(02:23):
what's acceptable and what's not. You know, COVID was pretty
difficult all round.

Speaker 1 (02:29):
Do you think we just got a bit loose with
acceptable behavior? We just thought, know, well, everyone's a bit nuts,
let's just put up with it.

Speaker 2 (02:36):
Well, I don't think it was deliberate, but I think
obviously there was more crime, we didn't have enough police,
and we've wanted to make sure there were people who
were able to engage with people who need different forms
of support. So the three things we identified three and
a half years ago was around mental health, addiction, better
management of housing, as well as the stronger police business.

(02:59):
So it's a common of those things that are actually
going to really get on top of this. It's not
it's still a way to go, but it is significantly better.
All right.

Speaker 1 (03:07):
Thank you very much for that, Vive Beck, Heart of
the City in auc.

Speaker 2 (03:10):
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