Rotorua safety: $500k fund, more cameras, AI proposed

Half a million dollars each year may be funnelled into ensuring community safety in Rotorua.

Rotorua Lakes Council will also consider extending CCTV coverage, and investigating artificial intelligence (AI) monitoring and community reporting apps.

The ideas come as part of the council's draft community safety plan, which will be discussed at a meeting of its Strategy, Policy and Finance committee on 11 March.

The committee will consider whether to recommend to the council, which next meets on 25 March, to approve the plan for public engagement.

A report for the meeting prepared by council strategy development manager Rosemary Viskovic said there was an increasing perception amongst residents and visitors that Rotorua's public spaces were not safe.

"Over the last several years there have been increasing concerns regarding an increase in anti-social behaviour in public places ... affecting people's sense of safety."

Viskovic said increasing housing insecurity and the use of temporary non-residential properties for prolonged periods had also contributed to a reduced sense of safety in some places. It said a late 2020 crime statistics report stated the Rotorua Territorial Authority area was rated the worst among 66.

The council had bumped up City Guardian and security patrols in the city over summer, as well as mobile patrols on Fenton St and other "hot-spots", and extended periods of CCTV live monitoring.

Last month the council had also established a temporary alcohol ban in some areas on the periphery of the inner city.

In her report, Viskovic said elected members had been "instrumental" in developing the draft community safety plan through long-term plan workshops held in December and February, and the plan was organised around four themes: intelligence, response, prevention and collaboration.

"A range of council operations which relate to community safety are funded as usual business. The long-term plan consultation is proposing additional funding of $500,000 per annum towards new initiatives."

Viskovic's report said detailed project planning would work within those budget constraints.

The one-page draft plan revealed the council's proposed plan to combat the community safety in the district, including extending CCTV coverage to the entire CBD and Fenton St and other locations, including suburban areas, and staffing extended monitoring. It also proposed to investigate AI monitoring.

The plan proposed to encourage community reporting, including the use of apps to do so, and increasing the mobility of City Guardians, as well as reviewing the impact of alcohol and drugs on public spaces.

At the meeting on 11 March, the committee will also consider whether to recommend to the council to note a 2021 representation review process.

The representation review is required by law every six years and will determine arrangements for the basis of election - be it councillors at large, wards or a mix of both, and the establishment of community boards.

Local authorities, such as the council, can also consider the electoral system used - first past the post or single transferable vote, and the establishment of Māori wards.

The committee will also consider whether to approve a 30-year infrastructure strategy for inclusion into the 2021 Long-term Plan consultation process.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council chairman Doug Leeder and chief executive Fiona McTavish are also expected to present to the committee on the regional council's Long-term Plan public consultation.

Council's proposed plan for community safety

Intelligence

• Assess public spaces of concern

• CCTV - network plan to extend coverage to entire CBD and Fenton St and staff extended monitoring

• CCTV - investigate AI monitoring, extend coverage to suburban and other parts of district, link with private security and providers

• Connect City Guardians team with police, private security and Māori wardens

• Investigate community reporting and methods, such as apps

Response

• Address issues identified with rapid interventions

• City Guardian team respond to intel, increase mobility of team, boost with contract security at peak need times

• Increase community safety patrols in suburban patrols and liaise with other groups such as Neighbourhood Support and Māori Wardens

• Regulatory team target effort on reducing alcohol and drug harm, with help from the police, Toi Te Ora Public Health and the District Licensing Committee

Prevention

• Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design principles in public space design

• Review impact of alcohol and drugs in public spaces and operation of bylaws

• Plan and implement activating public spaces with pro-social events

• Plan and implement activities with families living in motels to enhance inclusion, participation and pro-social behaviour

Collaboration

• Identify community safety partners and align efforts

• Community awareness and participation in prevention, including encouraging reporting and funding community safety initiatives

• Safe public transport, supporting youth justice models and advocating for community policing resources

The development of community hubs was also an idea in the plan.

Source: Rotorua Lakes Council

Local Democracy Reporting is a public interest news service supported by RNZ, the News Publishers' Association and NZ On Air.