Police seek deal with South Aucklanders

Press, 24 July 1984, Page 8

Police seek deal with South Aucklanders

PA Auckland The Commissioner of Police, Mr K. 0. Thompson, yesterday asked the community in South Auckland to meet the police half-way by stopping the violence of some of its members against policemen. “I make a plea to the community: if you want policing in the style we believe you do, we are willing to do it. But there is a very heavy onus on you to come and meet us half-way,” he said.

Mr Thompson announced a development plan for the future policing off the area, based on a report into policing needs. It will form the basis for police development> plans in other region The plan includes the im-

mediate building of new police stations in Mangere and East Tamaki, the assignment of an initial 16 extra staff into the region, decentralisation, and redistribution of C. 1.8. resources, and increased involvement in Youth Aid.

A special police planning team and members of the University of Auckland sociology department compiled the report on the basis that the South Auckland area was sufficiently individual in terms of population, culture, and policing problems to warrant special planning consideration. Mr Thompson said in Auckland that it was the first time in the history of the New Zealand Police that a “market research’)* survey had been used to plaS future

policing on the basis of “client’s views and feelings.”

He said, however, that the approach was not being helped by the amount of violence directed against the police. “It (the approach) is a two-way deal and we are going more than half-way to meet it,” he said. The report said the people of South Auckland were generally satisfied with the policing service provided, but said there were serious reservations on the adequacy and accessibility of the police. This was reflected in the level of satisfaction shown in various tasks performed by the police, particularly among young people and ethnic groups.