Auckland’s business district is still fighting to restore its image, with a police officer being knocked out of service and hospitalized on Saturday and restaurant staff robbed and stalked while he was at work.
Entrepreneurs say security in the heart of the city has improved, but there is still some way to go.
In March, disorder, drunkenness, fights and abuse caused persistent headaches. Cruise companies said at the time that they could “warn tourists” moving over to the city when the borders open again.
Now, with the first of those ships return to the CBD on August 12the NZ Cruise Association has confirmed that it will not issue warnings to arriving visitors.
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Chairman Debbie Summers even said the CBD hasn’t looked this good in ages, stating: The Development of Commercial Bay and new businesses opening weekly in the city center.
RICKY WILSON/STUFF
An employee of Ahi Restaurant was robbed between shifts. Another was stalked on the way home from work.
“It will be a real litmus test for the safety of the city,” she said.
Entrepreneurs in the center of CBD, like Mat Jorgensenknow the streets better than most.
From behind the bar in Ding Dong Lounge, he saw it drop antisocial behavior while crowds in the CBD have increased in recent months.
Jorgensen also pointed to further improvements with emergency housing hotels pack quietly and more police to the beat.
Jason Dorday/Things
From behind the bar of the Ding Dong Lounge, Mat Jorgensen has seen the antisocial behavior diminish as the crowd in the CBD has grown in recent months.
“The fact that more people are in the city center has certainly had a good effect on reducing the number of criminals,” he said.
While he agreed that security in the city had improved, Jorgensen said it was certainly not resolved.
“The customers don’t feel safe coming to the city yet and it’s hard to convince people to come back.”
On Saturday, an off-duty officer was hospitalized after being hit on the head while trying to stop a break-in.
A video captured the aftermath of the smash-and-grab in daylight. Several people were seen jumping into a beat up car and speeding through Queen St.
DELIVERED
Several people jumped into a beat-up car on Saturday after being hit in daylight at a store in Queen St.
A man was arrested on the spot.
Chris Martin, the co-owner of Ahi restaurantsaid its Commercial Bay location often saw the worst nighttime incidents, as it was one of the few locations in the area still open all week late.
His restaurant is also one of the first cruise ships that tourists will see when they get off the boat. He said there is still work to be done to improve safety in the city.
A staff member was robbed between shifts, Martin said. He went grocery shopping during lunch and was beaten so badly that he had to be hospitalized.
Another Martin employee was followed home by some “unsavory characters” after she finished a night shift.
The waterfront and Commercial Bay district were noticeably safer at night, according to Martin, who said the security measures in place were “brilliant.”
But in the streets around the police station, he saw security personnel wearing stab proof vests all day.
“It is a work in progress. Nobody wants a negative impact on inbound tourism and we have been waiting for it for a while,” he said.
Inspector Grae Anderson, Auckland Central Police Commander, said police have been “encouraged in recent months to see more people returning to central Auckland for work and leisure purposes”.
Changing demographics in the city center in recent years had led to more phone calls, especially around family damage, he said.
“Unfortunately, we still see excessive alcohol consumption as a common factor in these reports, particularly near bars and other entertainment venues.”
Police maintained a “high level of visibility” in the city, especially on nights with a busy nightlife, he said.