Palmerston North Mayor Grant Smith is demanding an explanation over funding being dropped for a council-backed crime-fighting organisation.
Grant Smith Photo: PNCC
Mr Smith said the Ministry of Justice had pulled its annual $70,000 investment in the Safety Advisory Board, which comprises 16 organisations, including the Police, ACC, Ministry of Justice and the mana whenua, Rangitāne iwi.
The board had been partly responsible for a large drop in reported crime since it was set up more than a decade ago, he said.
"They fund initiatives and programmes, and it may be around younger people or it may be around night-time activity, around safer neighbourhoods, around a safer CBD, but certainly the programmes have worked."
A ministry spokesperson said funding for Palmerston North was due to end on 30 June and it was focused on working with community based organisations which had limited revenue sources.