Auckland communities deserve immediate answers from the police minister and police about what the government will do to address escalating crime in the city, and the Mayor must make that happen, mayoral candidate Wayne Brown says.

“The Mayor of Auckland needs to be able to bang heads together to address crime in Auckland,” Mr Brown said. “Throughout my career I’ve been brought in to steer failing organisations out of trouble and coordinate different players at a local and national level to get problems fixed.”

“We don’t need to go to Wellington and beg for help. Auckland is the largest voting base in the country in general elections. A strong mayor would make the ministers come here, meet with the local communities affected by gang violence, and hold them to account, and that’s exactly what I’ll do.”

“Crime flourishes when people feel unsafe. It’s a vicious cycle, where disorder leads to increased criminal activity and violence. This dithering helps no-one.”

Mr Brown said that local communities should also be empowered to do whatever they can to protect themselves from crime.

“As Mayor I’ll delegate the ability to address neighbourhood safety to local boards, whether that’s through lighting, security guards or CCTV in trouble spots. Local representatives know what the issues are and where trouble starts in their communities.”

“I’ll also immediately contribute to safety in the inner city by clearing the streets of unnecessary contractor vehicles and construction fences. By getting the city moving, we’ll also shine a light on the dark corners where crime happens.”

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