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Local Boards in Auckland will get an equal share of crime prevention funding, after Mayor Wayne Brown rejected a recommendation from staff.
A total of $2 million was given to Auckland Council by the Ministry of Social Development to invest in community safety initiatives.
At the Regulatory and Safety committee on May 30, members voted on how to allocate the $2 million – $1 million to local boards and $1 million via council-affiliated Business Improvement Districts (BID).
The split was put forward in a resolution by Mayor Brown, which countered council staff advice that $1 million should be put into a contestable fund and $1 million to local boards using crime data to decide the distribution of funding.
Originally, staff suggested distributing 75 per cent of the $1 million based on crime data in local board areas and 25 per cent split evenly across all 21 local boards.
“Actually, think a bit deeper and see why crime is not as high in some areas that have spent money on prevention. Money on prevention works,” Brown said.
“Those BIDs that have spent their money on crime prevention are down the list for crime – Some of the areas are well down because they spend 40 per cent of their money on crime prevention.”
Cr Kerrin Leoni was concerned that using BIDs may cut some businesses out of decision making.
“There are some dairies that are not a part of BIDs – I am concerned that if they are not connected to a BID then that is less funding that is available to them,” Leoni said.
Brown said this may encourage businesses to get into BIDs by highlighting their importance.
Another issue appeared when Brown was reluctant to use crime data to inform the distribution of funding amongst local boards.
Chair Josephine Bartley tried to encourage Brown to use the crime data as it was staff’s preferred option, and the seconder of Brown’s motion, Cr Ken Turner, also appeared reluctant to exclude it.
Victimisation data between February 2019 and January 2023 across Auckland’s wards showed Waitematā had significantly higher rates, with more than 50,000 cases over that period.
Brown suggested that it was because local crime prevention initiatives were significantly underfunded.
“There are a number of BIDs that have spent nothing on crime prevention and have a lot of crime. Like the CBD, one who also had $1.4 million sitting in the bank while they are asking the rest of the ratepayers to fund CCTVs and lighting.”
He said that using the crime data was penalising areas that had already implemented crime prevention initiatives.
Brown’s resolution was passed and chair Bartley said the $2 million would not make much difference to addressing crime but it was at least a “drop in the bucket” of funding from central government.
