With summer and the holiday season still in full swing, it’s an important time to speak up if you see something out of place.
Residents and business association representatives in the Ōrākei area came together with local board members, police, and other community safety organisations at the beginning of summer to discuss local issues over the holiday period.
One of the key takeaways was the value of people reporting broken or vandalised equipment in public places, as well as any suspicious activity.
“If you see something suspicious or broken, you are right to think ‘someone should report that’. And that someone is you!” says Ōrākei Local Board chair, Scott Milne.
“Don’t worry about duplicate reports. They help decisions on which issues to prioritise. The more reports the better.”
This is true of Auckland Council’s ‘Report a Problem’ system, as well as New Zealand Police’s 105 reporting line.
During the long weekends when people are more likely to be away, keep an eye out for unusual activity on your street.
Community resilience liaison for Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, Neil Maihi, shared his thoughts about the advantages of tight-knit communities.
“It’s that whanaungatanga. The most important thing is community connections and having clear and open lines of communication.
“Knowing our neighbours grows our sense of community and increases our overall perception of security. Being part of a likeminded network of ‘eyes and ears’ increases our feelings of reassurance, confidence, and wellbeing.”
The board are working with community groups on initiatives to strengthen neighbourhood connections which will be announced in the coming months.
Report a problem (Auckland Council) – Report it online if you see a maintenance problem in parks, community facilities or venues, beaches and maunga.
105 – Make a non-emergency report to Police online here, or you can call them on 105 at any time.
111 – If an incident is happening now, or someone’s in danger, call emergency services on 111 immediately.
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