Police patrol on Queen Street. Photo: RNZ / Luka Forman
First Person - Auckland CBD is often a pressure point for crime, with some residents and businesses saying they do not feel safe walking the streets. Checkpoint reporter Luka Forman parked up in one downtown mall to see for himself what the police presence is really like.
Police say they have upped their foot patrols in the area by about 58 percent, but that has not dampened calls for them to go a step further and establish a station in the area.
I set myself up on a bench outside the Mid City mall, about half way down Queen Street. The mall's a host to a mix of cosmetics stores and food shops. If you're trying to get your bearings, it's right opposite the Maccas.
I've staked out here because one of the shops, Moona Cosmetics, is regularly a victim of shoplifting and break-ins. I first spoke to Owner Enzo Wang a few weeks back and he told me they're usually shoplifted two to three times a week.
This time, I notice Enzo has put up a 'wall of shame' of sorts in the store windows, with photos of regular offenders and even QR codes which lead to videos of the crimes. He tells me things haven't gotten better since I last visited - they're still being shoplifted regularly.
Wall of shame on Moona Store's window. Photo: RNZ / Luka Forman
Patrol numbers
I arrive just after 10.30am and leave at 4.30pm. Apart from ducking in to speak to business owners, and a couple of toilet breaks, I spend six hours outside the mall.
In total, I saw three police patrols - two walking down Queen Street, and one policeman who was called onto the street by a member of the public for a discussion.
There were nine Auckland council security patrols, and four Heart of the City security guards - some of who walked past several times during the day. So 13 security patrols in total.
Business reaction
All of the business people I speak to confirm they see more security guards on the streets than police officers. Some are pleased with the overall security and police presence in the area, while others felt more police would make them feel safer.
Sachin, who runs a vape shop on Queen Street, tells me he would like to see more cops on the beat, especially on the weekends.
"Weekends are one of the hard times, when drunk people make a mess. For the weekdays, we can say it's all right. But they are still working on it. I can see that - I'm over here in this business from the last two years, and I've seen the numbers [of police patrols] have gone up, which is really good."
Calls for harsher consequences for crime
Other businesses I speak to are not so sure that increased patrols will make a difference.
They feel as though some offenders, especially teenagers, are let off too easily, saying they were essentially given a "free ride in the police car" before turning up to do the same thing the next day.