10 September 2012

Partnership approach to building a safer Glen Eden

A comprehensive initiative to create a safer and more secure environment in and around Glen Eden town centre is being launched in the community this week.

The Glen Eden township safety project is a practical response to ongoing issues associated with unacceptable behaviour leading to crime related activities in the town, which is the heart of Glen Eden.

The collaborative approach to beating anti-social behaviour involves organisations including Auckland Council, the Waitakere Ranges Local Board, NZ Police, Auckland Transport, Blockhouse Bay community patrols, Glen Eden Business Association, Glen Eden Community Protection Society, and a raft of community groups working in the field of safety and crime prevention.

Reported offences, intimidating youth congregation, and victimisation have created a perception that the township isn’t safe and impacted adversely on businesses in the town centre, says Waitakere Ranges Local Board community safety portfolio holder Mark Brickell.

“This unwanted activity has gone on long enough and ad hoc responses to the problem haven’t worked in the past,” he says. “This will be a new, highly visible, community partnership approach, which we hope will bring the results we seek.”

Senior Sergeant Ross Hunter, Officer in Charge Community Services Waitakere Police, says police are placing greater emphasis on preventing crime as the key to reducing offending and victimisation.

“We want to work with local residents and communities to build trust and confidence in the police and restore community ownership of their town so they can feel safe and in control of what’s going on ,” he says.

“We need them to become our eyes and ears in the community and report crime, graffiti and anti-social behaviour so we can act on the issues causing them concern.

“At the same time, we want them to make life harder for criminals by taking commonsense precautions in their everyday lives.”

Mr Brickell says it’s always effective when communities join together and work with others to achieve a common goal, in this case making Glen Eden a more welcoming place to be so that people can have confidence that they are secure when they are out and about in the township.

“A further positive spin-off of the community-based partnership approach is likely to be increased business activity in the main streets with a flow-on effect in terms of renewed community pride in Glen Eden.”

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