Mark Mitchell: Police Minister on the new Federal Street police station in Auckland CBD

The Government says it's chosen a strategically good location for its new Auckland CBD police station.

The Federal Street facility should be completed mid-2025, and will have 51 beat officers. 

The College Hill station will continue its operations - and the old Vincent Street premises are still up for sale.  

Police Minister Mark Mitchell says centralised police stations in the past were great.

"I think the Federal Street option is just such a good option - it's centralised, our beat officers are covering the entire CBD, the feedback and anecdotal feedback has been just fantastic."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
If we're one New Zealand, let's get connected and news
talk as they'd be.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
Surely you can condom, condom, go you're so high that
you can't come them come.

Speaker 1 (00:17):
Whether if you'd asked me a year ago, would I
ever admire David cmoy I would have said no. But
I'm actually very impressed with him, not especially his politics,
but because he speaks well. We're going to talk to
the huddle about that shortly. It's Tris Sherson. Oh no,
it's not. It's Joe Speganey who's back from the US,
so we'll talk to her about that as well. That'll
be fascinating. Also David Farah, both of whom have been
watching politics and working in it for the longest time,

(00:37):
so we'll get their take on how the government's gone
one year and in New Zealand. Now g was honestly,
I mean talk about a run of bad years for
a company and proving unable to turn it around. Air
New Zealand has has issued its half yearly earnings guidance
and it's down as much as thirty five percent lower
than a year ago. They're blaming the engines, so that's

(00:59):
kind of out of their hands. I guess to some
extent question is it really just the engines anyway? Shane
Soley has been has been across us all day today.
He's going to be with us just about quarter past
six or thereabouts. Right now. It's twenty four away from six,
Heather Duperler. So the police are moving back into Auckland,
CBD be a new station on Federal Street, just one
hundred and seventy meters from the big old police station

(01:21):
that police moved out of just a few years ago.
And the Minister Mark Mitchell is with us a match, Hi, Heather,
there was one upon a time there was one at
Ford Street. You didn't think about opening one there?

Speaker 3 (01:32):
Well, the Federal Street one is just such a good
centralized location. It covers just about the entire CBD, including downtown.
So I just think that they thought strategically, you know,
it's just a very good location to have a storefront again,
which is actually a great announcement.

Speaker 1 (01:49):
When are you actually having the storefront?

Speaker 3 (01:52):
So from one understand is that when it's finally delivered
will be sort of early to mid next year.

Speaker 1 (01:58):
Okay. Was it a mistake then to close down the
one just down the road at Merril drive.

Speaker 3 (02:04):
Look, obviously those were decisions that were taken on previous
by previous governments. I know that I had a policing
career myself. I started at it as a beat cop
in the CBD and it was good having police officers
operating out of what was then the Wharf Police Station.
It was quite a popular place to go all beat constables.
But I think the federal street option is just such

(02:25):
a good option that centralized our beat officers are covering
the entire CBD. The feedback and anecdotal feedback has just
been fantastic, from shopkeepers, the retailers, residents, people coming into
work in the CBD. It really has had a big impact.
But I just want to say that it's been a
team effort. Auckland Council has been very good. We've had

(02:47):
government agencies, KOMSD, residents and rate pars groups, Business Association, CPNZ,
Mary Warden's Social Service Price. Everyone's come together and really
got focused in aligned with a strategy to make our
CBD much safer.

Speaker 1 (03:00):
Mitch that photograph of the cop wearing the I think
it was a black power jacket. Why was he wearing
that patch?

Speaker 3 (03:07):
Look, I don't know, I'm not going to speak for
him obviously, you know, disappointed that that happened, and I
know that he'll be feeling worse than anyone in terms
of you know, it's a poor reflection and he'll really
be feeling it. But you know, at the end of
the day, the police will deal with it internally.

Speaker 1 (03:22):
Was it Because what I'm interested in knowing is just
whether he was sympathetic towards the gang or whether he
had confiscated at some stage for whatever reason and was
putting it on just being a bit silly.

Speaker 3 (03:34):
I don't think it was being sympathetic towards the gang,
but I don't want to speculate, and I don't want
to speak for him, and the police now obviously deal
with it internally.

Speaker 1 (03:43):
Yeah, And what's going to happen to the police officers
who left the Prime Minister's itinerary on the dashboard?

Speaker 2 (03:50):
Oh?

Speaker 3 (03:50):
I think I think they'll get a bit of a
reminder not to do that. But look, at the end
of the day, we're all human and we all make mistakes,
and it was a minimum one, but it was a
good reminder. I'm sure it won't happen again. I've got
no idea. I don't know what was on it actually.

Speaker 1 (04:04):
Okay, so it was like pops into bakery that type
of thing, rather than it.

Speaker 3 (04:08):
Might have been there it might it might have been
might have been some of the prominis is myinery. But
at the end of the day, most of that is
pretty well, it's already been broadcast ahead of time in
terms of where he's going.

Speaker 1 (04:19):
It's not like anybody is very cross with Luxan, is it.
He's not on that a huge amount of threat, is he.

Speaker 3 (04:25):
I'm not going to comment on that. Yeah, no, no, Look,
he's The short answer is no. But he's got a
very competent, world class DPS team there that are there
to deal with anything that may that may arise. And look,
at the end of the day, everyone recognizes the fact
that that was a breaking a break in protocol. It's
a good reminder. I don't think it was DPS. I

(04:47):
think it was a police officers sort of supporting the visit.
And but you know, like I said, we're all human
and we will make mistakes, and I'm sure they won't
do it again too.

Speaker 1 (04:56):
Right we do, all right, Mark, thank you very much,
make much all the police Minister for more from hither
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