Media Release
City Vision-Labour Councillors
For Immediate Release
3 December 2009

Ratepayers Fund Private Police to Move On City’s Homeless

Auckland City Council decided today to pay more for extra private security patrols on central city streets. 

Citizens and Ratepayers councillors on the Community Services Committee endorsed spending an extra $220,000 on security guards to enforce a range of council bylaws to try to restrict ‘anti-social’ behaviour and deal with homeless people.   But City Vision councillors say the increased private police patrols will punish the marginalised and homeless.

Labour Councillor Richard Northey said: “I am opposed to this unthinking extension of a negative enforcement role paid for by the ratepayers to deal with situations in the CBD that make C&R councillors feel uncomfortable.  When this Council cannot afford to support the positive welcoming City Ambassadors programme, the positive work of the Citizens Advice Bureaux and the desperate need for affordable housing in Auckland it is very unwise for the council to involve itself willy-nilly in the work that the police and the hospitality industry should be responsible for.

Independent Councillor Denise Roche said: “Creating a private army to monitor rubbish bins, move buskers along and harass the homeless is a crazy thing to do with ratepayers’ money and it does nothing to address the problem of homelessness.  The most common and serious anti-social behaviour in the city is alcohol-fueled violence and mayhem and that is a police matter.  Council could help fix it by re-working our liquor licensing bylaws.”

City Vision Councillor Cathy Casey said “A year ago Committee Chairman Paul Goldsmith said he was embarrassed by two homeless people asleep on a mattress on Queen Street during the day and that he wanted a bylaw clear the homeless off the streets.   Mayor John Banks stepped in to reassure homeless people that “we want you to feel welcome in this city”.   Today Cr Goldsmith and his C&R colleagues voted to fund private police to deal to the homeless.  Just what is welcoming about a ratepayer funded uniformed security officer demanding that a homeless person move on or else?”

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