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Safer Auckland City

Introduction | Safer Auckland City structure | Projects | Minimising crime through design

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Safer Auckland City structure

Safer Auckland City is one of many Safer Community Councils around the country, which deals with crime prevention and community safety. Auckland City Council sponsors Safer Auckland City, and it has done, since its inception in 1995. The concept of Safer Community Councils arose from a government crime prevention initiative.

• Key stakeholders
• Structure
• Bicultural model

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Key stakeholders

Safer Auckland City is one of the few councils in New Zealand to have forged partnerships with four major stakeholders.

The Safer Auckland City Partnership Agreement between Auckland City Council, Ngati Whatua O Orakei, the Auckland City District Police and the Crime Prevention Unit is a new model with an emphasis on community safety and crime reduction. Working with these four stakeholders will enable a more integrated approach to addressing the social issues of Auckland.

Ngati Whatua O Orakei have selected a group of Maori to ensure a Maori perspective is given on projects that are targeting Maori. The Taumata Taha Maori group will advise on aspects of SAC programmes to ensure it is truly bicultural in philosophy, structure and approach. They meet once every 3 months and make recommendation to the Safer Community Council. For more information see the Bicultural Model.

The partnership agreement also insures that the Auckland City District Police play a major role in the reduction in crime within the Auckland City Area.  The New Zealand Police commits to a community oriented approach, who say that it is only by bringing together the ideas and abilities of every member of the community that we will seriously challenge the influences which lead to criminal behaviour.

The Crime Prevention Unit (CPU), a recent partner of Safer Auckland City and is part of the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Group of the Ministry of Justice. The CPU has two main functions:

• providing policy advice to the Government on its crime prevention priorities
• an operational focus that co-ordinates community-based crime prevention initiatives through a national network of 65 Safer Community Councils (SCCs), and funds crime prevention projects.

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Structure

Executive committee

The Executive Committee of Safer Auckland City is made up of the Chief Executive Officer of Auckland City Council, the Chairman of the Board of Ngati Whatua O Orakei, the Superintendent of the Auckland City District Police and the Director of the Crime Prevention Unit within the Justice Department. There are also members from the media, community, academia and a member from the business community.

Partner representative - Taumata Taha Maori

Taumata Taha Maori includes representatives from Ngati Whatua O Orakei, Auckland City District Police, Auckland City Council and members of the Maori community within the Auckland City boundary. 

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Bicultural model

Safer Auckland City provides a bicultural approach to crime prevention, recognising the special place of Maori in our society and reflecting a holistic approach to addressing social issues.

Ngati Whatua O Orakei will contribute specialist knowledge on Maori issues and be involved in monitoring the implementation of the bicultural model. They will also provide high level input to the programme to encourage other Maori groups, marae, iwi and Maori communities to be involved.

The Chairman of the Board of Ngati Whatua o Orakei represents Ngati Whatua on the Executive of Safer Auckland City.

Orakei Marae

As a component of the bicultural model, the Taumata Taha Maori Group will advise on all relevant aspects of Safer Auckland City programmes to ensure it is truly bicultural in philosophy, structure and approach. The Taumata Taha Maori Group will endorse processes adopted by Safer Auckland City to ensure they are appropriate to all Maori. The Taumata Taha Maori Group will also advise on Te Ao Maori (Maori Perspective), on Tikanga (Maori Protocol) and support Safer Auckland City staff in the bicultural aspects of their jobs. The members of Taumata Taha Maori are appointed by Ngati Whatua and will also give overall support and guidance to the bicultural structure of Safer Auckland City. Currently there are Maori representatives from Ngati Whatua, Auckland City District Police, Auckland City Council and the wider Maori Community.

The Apiha Takawaenga is a role equivalent to the Safer Auckland City Planner but concentrating mainly on Maori issues within Auckland City. One of the purposes of this role is to ensure the bicultural nature of the new Safer Auckland City model is reflected in all its work.

The Awhina Takawaenga is a role equivalent to the Safer Auckland City Co-ordinator, working hands on with the Maori community and Maori organisations.