Media Release

17 June 2008

Acting Manukau Mayor urges community to stand together

The Manukau community needs to come together and be united in an ongoing response to recent violence, Acting Manukau Mayor Gary Troup says.

“Our community is reeling after the three killings in just 10 days,” Mr Troup says.

“But now is the time to work together, to support each other and the police and we will come through this.

“The vast majority of our people are decent, law-abiding citizens. By and large, we are a normally a safe community so people are shocked when events like this recent violence happen.

“We are proud of who we are and where we live.”

Mr Troup reassures Manukau people that the council, police and agencies are continuing to work together to combat violence and crime.

Examples include ambassadors in the Manurewa town centre, funding for crime watch patrols and a forum looking at ways of reducing youth offending.

“We must have a whole-of-community, whole-of-government response to these issues. It can’t just be left to police or the council.”

Mr Troup welcomes the Prime Minister’s call to revisit sale of liquor laws, saying this is one of the measures that needs to happen to help Manukau at this time.

A meeting between the mayor, councillors, the Manurewa community board chairman, police and key government departments has been scheduled for next Monday 23 June.

“I’m expecting a plan of action to come out of this meeting to support our community in the short, long and medium term,” Mr Troup says.

The community, government departments, police and the council worked together in response to youth gang-related violence in 2005. This saw the Auckland Youth Support Network Group formed and a 26-point action plan implemented to improve outcomes for young people and reduce youth offending in Counties Manukau and Otahuhu. This work is ongoing.

Tomorrow’s Manukau provides a vehicle for government, agencies, the council and community groups to work together on issues affecting the community.

ENDS

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