Cracking down on crime

BY MICHELLE ROBINSON

POLICE and business owners are together cracking down on crime in the North Harbour business area.

With about 1000 commercial premises in Albany and North Harbour, the business area has proved a popular target for thieves, North Shore police area commander inspector Les Paterson says.

"This is representing a big chunk of our commercial property crime."

But the sharing of information between the police and the North Harbour Business Association on crime and suspicious activity has contributed to a decrease in burglaries, he says.

According to the police about eight burglaries were being recorded in the area each week, with most taking place on weekends.

That has fallen to one or two a weekend.

In recent years a community patrol organisation Bizwatch was formed, comprising the association, police and North Shore City Council. An 11-hour security patrol runs from about 6.30pm until 5.30am seven days a week and reports anything suspicious to the police, association chairman Gary Holmes says.

"We work with businesses to improve their security."

He says having some access to police statistics on crime in the area allows the association to be proactive with security.

One of the key issues has been bush areas near businesses, he says.

This month the association signed a memorandum of understanding with Shore police.

Mr Paterson says while it’s uncommon for private companies and the police to share information, it is not a first for New Zealand.

The police work with other business areas but have formed a special partnership with the largest business district to start with, Mr Paterson says.

The agreement is not about police favouring North Harbour, he says.

"We can’t give anything extra."

- © Fairfax NZ News