MEDIA RELEASE
29 August 2002
Hon John Banks QSO
Mayor of Auckland City
From the Mayor’s Office
Bandits must be stopped
Auckland Mayor John Banks said the time has arrived for a specific Auckland strategy on the recruitment, training and
retention of police staff. His call follows today’s release of the latest Auckland City Police Crime Statistics, which
highlight increasing crime and difficult staffing circumstances.
“I am committed to setting Auckland apart for an urgent policy review. The present policy will never deliver the
frontline police the streets of Auckland desperately require.
“Staffing levels have never been worse and have spelled a disastrous situation for the city. We are presently 70
frontline police short in Auckland. Little wonder the bandits are having a field day with dishonesty and disorder
offences.
“Police can only tackle rising crime and do the job the public expects when adequate resources are in place. As well as
improving the pay and conditions of those already on the job in Auckland, the Government needs to attract more officers
to the city by supporting additional pay, allowances and accommodation.”
Mr Banks acknowledged funding police adequately won’t come cheaply but says the cost of rising crime to the people of
Auckland will be prohibitive,” he concluded.
ENDS