Auckland Council’s Regulatory and Safety Committee has approved the allocation of the $2 million Local Crime Fund from central government to local boards and Business Improvement Districts (BID) across the region.
The fund will be used for crime prevention initiatives and under the approved distribution model, $1 million will be distributed to local boards and $ 1 million to BIDs.
Councillor Josephine Bartley, Chair of the Regulatory and Safety Committee, acknowledges Mayor Brown’s role last year in securing the funding from central government. She is aware community safety is a growing concern and says the funding will be distributed quickly to support a range of activities that will help reduce crime and improve safety.
“We have heard the concerns from our communities regarding crime and we want to work quickly to distribute the funds to where they will have the most impact.
“Urgent action is needed to step up the efforts in tackling crime, and we are grateful for the support and funding from the government so more can be done to improve the safety of our region.”
Councillor Bartley says while the Police continues to be the lead agency when it comes to the focus on crime, collaboration is key to understanding and identifying crime prevention solutions.
“The prevention of crime is a high priority for the council, and we will continue to take a proactive approach and work together with key agencies and groups to create a safer city for all.”
About the fund
On 28 November 2022, the Prime Minister announced a $4 million dollar funding package to address retail crime and youth offending throughout New Zealand.
Of that, $2 million is allocated to Auckland Council to support regional crime prevention initiatives. This is identified as the ‘Local Crime Fund’, which is a one-off payment that cannot be used to fund council operations or business-as-usual.
The Local Crime Fund is distinct from the Retail Crime Prevention (RCP) fund and the fog cannon subsidy scheme, administered by NZ Police and Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), which are intended to supply security equipment to small retailers.
