Measures of Success

A visible reduction in crime was reported on the New Zealand Police stats data tool.

Progress to date/actions taken

• Public forum presentations received relating to community safety and promotion of community patrols, particularly public forum presentation from Leon Lee (May 2023).
• Police’s Crime Snapshot at this website (https://www.police.govt.nz/crime-snapshot) provides further insights on broad trends, with more detailed reports from the Police stats data tool at this website ( https://www.police.govt.nz/about-us/publications-statistics/data-and-statistics/policedatanz).
• The data tool shows that within the Board area (the relative boundaries not matching exactly, but focusing within it) the trend for victimisations between May 2023 and August 2023 tracked steadily down, up slightly in September 2023, plateauing to October 2023, dropping in November 2023, and coming back up moderately in December 2023. In that overall period victimisations were tracking down.
• The Board is supported to encourage and educate community reporting to Police, assisting Police intelligence through the 105 and 111 numbers, and helping the community to understand when to use which and the importance of reporting.
• The Board’s LTP 2024-34 submission advocated that: The Board also recognises the many ways, not always apparent, in which community funding, development and resilience are integral to retaining a safe and thriving city that is prepared for dealing with possible adversity. The Council, by far, does not do all the ‘heavy lifting’ in the city to make it a great place to live; much of that work is community-led, though greatly in need of the Council maintaining its funding support for the groups and organisations on the ground who do the mahi. As previously mentioned, this work is not always apparent but is an essential and fundamental social glue that’s key to supporting our wellbeing as citizens – an important part of our social cohesion being reliant on the collective efforts of these volunteers and organisations.
• The Board at its June and July 2024 meetings decided to recommend the Council request staff investigate new alcohol ban areas in Edgeware Village and around the norther section of Stanmore Road, supporting community requests to explore this avenue of addressing safety concerns around aggressive begging behaviours being reported in these local shopping centres.

Progress to date / actions taken

• In its submission on the Council’s Annual Plan 2023/23, the Board advocated that priority be given within existing programmes to advancing projects relevant specifically to matters that included addressing youth safety issues at Northlands Shopping Centre and the surrounding area.
• The Board workshopped initiatives to create solutions to address youth safety issues at Northlands Shopping Centre through its Better Off Fund.
• When the Youth Community Safety Project through the Board’s Better Off Fund was presented in February 2024 (and approved by the Board at that time for funding), it noted the success of a pilot project run in the proximity of Northlands Shopping Centre and Papanui High School to address youth safety issues through providing presence-based youth work in the area. At the conclusion of the pilot, the key stakeholders agreed on creating a long-term plan to continue the project and identified the below opportunities:
  • Professional development for security and interested retail staff on ‘positive youth development’.
  • Receiving access to the outdoor/indoor space that was previously a Pizza Hutt restaurant for use as a youth hub space for young people to safely congregate when waiting for the bus.
  • Greater/wider stakeholder involvement including having the Papanui Police staff visit the Mall more frequently.
• With the support of the Better Off funding from the Board, the youth hub space has now been opened in Northlands Mall near the bus terminal, building on the successes of the pilot project, and providing meaningful presence-based youth work and an alternative space for young people to use while transitioning from school, through the mall and making their way home.

Measures of success

Track safety concerns raised through a public forum, correspondence, or engagement, and articulate the concerns to the Police during regular meetings.

Progress to date / actions taken

• The Board discussed local policing issues with Senior Sergeant Roy Appley of the NZ Police in May 2023, including raising relevant community concerns about transport safety in the Board area.
• Staff continue to support the Phillipstown Safety Panel with the Phillipstown Community Policy Team.
• The Police were invited to hear the community safety concerns for Edgeware Village at the 9 May 2024 meeting, and their views sought in relation to the request for an alcohol ban for the area.
• Public forum presentations received from Edgeware business owner and Richmond Residents and Business Associations at May and June 2024 meetings relating to aggressive begging issues in Edgeware Village and the northern section of Stanmore Road respectively, where the presenters were in each case requesting the process for investigating alcohol bans for the areas to be initiated.
• Police attended with the Board at their liaison meeting with school principals in the Board area on 7 June 2024 to share their work and hear local school feedback on safety and policing issues.
• Police views were sought and supplied in relation to the request of Richmond Residents and Business Association for an alcohol ban around the northern section of Stanmore Road.
• Brainstorming session held in July 2024 with Police, the Community Governance Team and Board Chair in relation to youth safety initiatives following the feedback from principals at the liaison meeting on 7 June 2024.
• The Board discussed local policing issues with Senior Sergeant Roy Appley of the NZ Police in October 2024.

Progress to date / actions taken

• The Board undertook a site visit to the Real Time Operations centre in June 2023 to understand their work, including the interface with the Crime Prevention Camera Network operated by the Police.
• Community Governance staff are engaging with Kainga Ora and Shirley Community Trust around social housing in the Shirley area and its layout as relating to supporting community safety.
• The Board’s LTP 2024-34 submission noted that: These prioritisations from the Board Plan have been developed in conversation with the community, and out of the Board’s experience of the need for these initiatives to support creating safe places to live. The Board is grateful for being able to effectively support our community through the continued funding of community grants and community development which facilitate a large number of groups and projects, to help address the issues that have required these initiatives.
• At its June and July 2024 meetings, the Board approved trials of working with the external agencies to address the underlying social issues in Edgeware Village and around the northern section of Stanmore Road, including the aggressive begging of particular concern to these communities, which had led to the local requests for alcohol bans in the areas.
• At its October 2024 meeting, the Board received a public forum from Shirley Village Project regarding the Crime Prevention Through Environment Design (CPTED) report that the Board commissioned for MacFarlane Park. The Board requested that staff investigate the approximate cost of replacing the public toilets in MacFarlane Park that the CPTED report recommends for renewal as a high priority.

Progress to date / actions taken

• Advocacy through presentation to Council at its June 2023 meeting including a slide highlighting the Board’s Community Policing, CPTED, CCTV & RTO Dialogues, specifically noting that the Board’s prioritisation of safety initiatives relies on the Council to champion and support CPTED being resourced.
• Opportunities for CPTED funding for Shirley Community Reserve and MacFarlane Park are being considered through Better Off funding, and provision for CPTED reports for both approved by the Board at its February 2024 meeting.
• CPTED principles are being considered for Petrie Park through the development of its landscape plan.
• A CPTED Plan for MacFarlane Park, funded with the Board’s Better Off Fund, has been produced by Boffa Miskell, who were engaged by the Community Governance Team to develop one, and workshopped it with the Shirley Community. The Community Governance Team is coordinating with relevant Council teams to work through the CPTED recommendations in terms of aspects that may be achievable within current budgets, and the Board has received the CPTED report to review in terms of other aspects that may be advanced through their advocacy. The Community Governance Team is also in discussion with Kāinga Ora and Shirley Community Trust around aspects that may be advanced through their partnership endeavours.
• The Board Chairperson highlighted to the Council meeting on 6 November 2024 the CPTED report for MacFarlane Park and that Shirley residents have drawn attention to the key finding that the toilets should be replaced/renewed as a high priority and highlighted mural designs they hope to add to a new toilet building.

Measures of success

Monitor the number of grants approved through the Better off Fund supporting community safety and crime prevention initiatives.

Progress to date / actions taken

• The Board was briefed on the criteria relating to the Community Board Better-Off Funding in August 2023.
• The Board considered its Strengthening Communities Funding in August 2023, giving it the opportunity to support community groups with initiatives, including those relating to harm-reduction.
• Aratupu Preschool – DRF funding for Aratupu Preschool and Whānau Hub Emotional Regulation Programme.
• In the Papanui-Redwood area staff continue to support a set of community organisations actively collaborating in wraparound safety and harm-reduction initiatives, which the Board fund through the DRF.
• The Board in February 2024 made a Better Off Fund grant for a Youth Community Safety Project. This project is to support a youth safer community initiative – a collaboration between groups to provide an environment that reflects a safe, inclusive, and caring culture that aligns with community values – building pro-social behaviour and a sense of belonging, collaboratively keeping our communities safe and calm and reducing crime. Partners include Papanui Youth Development Trust, Northlands Mall, Te Ora Hou, New Zealand Police and Christchurch City Council.

Progress to date / actions taken

• Promotion of Christchurch North Community Patrol through the Board’s June Area Report and Newsletter.
• Support provided to the Christchurch North Community Patrol through Strengthening Community Funding approved by the Board in August 2023.
• Support provided to City Park Community Patrol through Discretionary Response Fund grant approved by the Board in September 2023 toward first aid training for volunteer crews, uniform monograms and volunteer recognition.
• The Community Governance Team maintain a relationship with the patrols and review their statistical information available on their website at: https://database.cpnz.org.nz/stats.
• The Community Governance Team contacted the relevant community patrol to discuss the safety concerns for Edgeware Village from the public forum presentation on 9 May 2024, highlighting what the local businesses report, and asking if this area could receive increased attention.
• The Community Governance Team also made relevant inquiry with the community patrol to inform work on the report receiving and processing the request of Richmond Residents and Business Association for an alcohol ban around northern Stanmore Road, noting the aggressive begging activity in the area of concern to the local residents and businesses.