Last week we initiated a discussion around how safe does everyone feel in our beautiful city called Auckland. This has given rise to many a discussion and people coming forward with their stories. This week we bring you several stories of what has actually happened to some of our people. A few people who were willing to share their stories wish to remain anonymous but were still willing to share nonetheless.
There seem to be some trends that seem to come through. In a lot of the instances there seems to be a hesitation in reporting an incident, in others there have been reports and perceived inaction on the part of the Police. We bring these stories to you not because they make interesting reads but so that we can all learn from them and be more situationally aware of the times we live in.
While awareness can be a great contributor to your personal and property safety there are other resources, online and in the community that can be tapped into. The consistant messaging from the Police is that at the end of the day, your personal safety is in your own hands and in the face of a high risk situation, fore warned is fore armed.
We came across a wealth of information being shared by Neighbourhood Support in how you and your neighbours can help Police by providing a good description of anyone you see acting suspiciously or committing a crime.
If you see someone acting suspiciously write down what you see as soon as possible. Make a note of the most obvious features by which this person can be identified.
If you do see a crime being committed, dial 111 immediately and ask for Police. Keep calm, give your name, address and telephone number. Report where and what is happening. Stay on the phone and, if you can safely, keep watching and write down any further description.
It's important to try and build up a complete picture of a person from head to toe. Were they carrying anything e.g. a weapon? Were they smoking? Were there any other characteristics of note about the person? If you heard them speak, did they have an accent or speech impediment? What did they say?
If a vehicle is involved, write down the registration number, colour, make and model. Observe if it was damaged or rusty. Did it have any writing on it? Which way did it leave the area?
Also remember to keep a record of the time and date of your observations. These details can be very useful when giving a statement to Police and can help piece together the chain of events.
It is important to report incidents for the sake of your own safety and the safety of the community.
We hope reading the stories that follow help you to ask your own questions or help you prepare better for your safety at all times. We will take these stories back to the Police to get some advice when faced with situations such as these and bring these back to you in the final and concluding part in our next issue.
It was eight in the evening. I was on my way back home from college when I realised that six well-built teenagers had been following me. Soon, they surrounded me and questioned about my ethnicity and my purpose of moving to New Zealand. They abused me and accused me of stealing their jobs. They asked me for money. As I handed them a couple of coins, I thought they would let me go. But they didn’t. One of the boys pulled down his trousers and started making vulgar and obscene gestures. The two girls from the group snatched my bag. The remaining continued to abuse me. They seemed drunk. I somehow managed to break free and ran for almost 10 minutes without looking back. I got to a bus stop and boarded one to Britomart.
When I took the incidence to my college administrators, I was asked to not approach the police. They changed the timings of my classes and advised all the students to move in groups after dark.
I have been managing this business for many years, and in my experience, I have realised that this place is safer compared to others. I have often heard stories of thefts and mugging from the community and friends. There have been times when we were intimidated by groups of teenagers roaming around under the influence of alcohol. On many occasions when we sense trouble, we shut our shop early.
Last month, a teenage girl stopped by our shop and offered a $300 dress for $200. You could make out clearly that she was drunk. We sent her away by politely saying that we bought garments only from our supplier and that we didn’t deal in western apparel. She returned after some time and pretended to look around the store. And right in front of our eyes, she picked up stuff from our shop. We felt helpless and did not know how to react. We only had lady staff present that day and, therefore, asked help from our neighbours. But by then, the girl had left the store. I was afraid to report the incident to the police, as I had seen the girl many times in and around the area and didn’t want more trouble from her or her friends.
A couple of years ago, a family friend, who also owns a jewellery store, had a burglary at his stop. A customer had just left the shop when two armed men entered the store. The customer, sensing something was wrong, called the cops. The police, instead of acting quickly, asked unnecessary questions such as the appearance of the men and what they were wearing. The men were in the shop for six minutes. The police turned up 12 minutes after the thieves had left the scene. A person on the road even followed the burglars in his car and reported about their whereabouts, but the police did not show any interest in the information. Instead, they took the shop owner and the staff to the police station and questioned them for more than three hours.
They were only concerned about whether the store was insured. Once the owner confirmed, the situation was not dealt with any seriousness. We know how insurance companies work. The maximum they pay is 40% of the claimed money and at times, it feels as if the insurance is also a scam.
We run our business with fear. We even tell people that the jewels at our store are imitations. As a method of precaution, we do not keep the store open after 6 pm. Police is hardly a force to reply on.
Students often work as pizza delivery boys. We have faced many cases where our boys have been assaulted in the middle of empty roads or at poorly lit parking lots. They have been beaten up and robbed off the money they have.
Recently, we stopped delivery to places where such incidents take place. But the miscreants have devised new methods of harassment. They ask for delivery at a new place, where they wait for the pizza boy. Fast food joints do not report such incidents, as it can spoil the brand reputation, and also because they fear a backlash from troublemakers. The police are aware about the situation but have done nothing to put an end to this problem.
I leave from work every evening at six and every other day, there is a car parked right outside the parking place, which makes it impossible for me to take my car out on the road. One day, I saw a group of people standing next to the car. I approached them and asked if any of them was the owner. When they replied saying no, I waited for nearly half an hour before one of the men from the group entered the car and drove away! The next day, when the same incident repeated, I called the police station, which is just a couple of blocks away, but they hung up three times before I could tell them about my problem. By that time, the car owner had left with his car and so the police asked me to call them back if I faced the problem again. But after that incident, I don’t trust the police anymore and so have changed my parking arrangements.
I feel that Auckland as a whole is safe. It is a bit of bad luck if you or anyone you know has been a victim of mugging or burglary, as it can happen to anyone, anywhere in the world. I work for a liquor store and contrary to the belief, I have always felt safe at work. At the restaurant I was previously working, which is considered to be a safer environment, my colleagues were mugged at parking lots on multiple occasions.
At times, I feel that it also depends on which part of Auckland you live in. For example, I feel it is a lot safer in CBD compared to other places in south and west Auckland. The only disappointing thing is the way police handles the case. They question the victims as if it was their mistake to be at the wrong place at wrong time. If the police buckle up, the crime rate would fall drastically in our city.
I live in New Lynn and I have had my car stolen and house broken into on two separate occasions. I filed a complaint with the police and the investigation went on for a couple of weeks. After some time, the police told me that the case would be closed, as they were unable to trace the culprit.
In a similar kind of incident, a burglary took place at my friend’s shop, and the police still couldn’t nab the thieves in spite of having CCTV footage of the crime to work with. The police failed again. I feel that in Auckland, no one can depend on the police for safety.
I have been assaulted four times in three years. Two of the four attacks were extremely scary. Earlier when I was working in Otahuhu, I was hit by a rod on my back as I tried stopping theft at the liquor shop where I worked. I went behind the person to get everything he had stolen, which led to a fist fight.
The second time, I was held at gunpoint. Although the police caught the culprits within two to three days, one of them was left off, as he was a juvenile. The other one was sentenced to five years in prison.
When I look back at these incidents, I feel that Auckland is not a safe city, especially for the ones working in dairy and liquor shops that are open till late. Often my friends have shared stories of how they have been assaulted and mugged. The police usually advise us not to get into a fight and to back off in case of danger. But when your personal safety is under threat, things can turn ugly. The only message that I can give is to be brave because the weaker you are, the stronger the criminals get.
Once, after I had finished my shift at the hospital, I stopped by a store to buy groceries. When I was about to enter my car parked in the parking lot, a few well-built men came up to me and started a conversation. I tried to avoid them, but one of them asked if I worked as a nurse in a hospital. I wasn’t wearing my uniform and so was taken aback by the question. Looking back now, I feel that they had followed me. They questioned about my ethnicity and asked if I had any drugs with me. Their tone was intimidating. When they asked me for money, I pulled out a $20 note, handed it to them and drove away. The police were not helpful when I reported the incident. Now I just make sure that when it is dark, I don’t stop for any reason until I reach home.
One day after college, when I was waiting at the bus stop, four teenage boys joined me. They were shouting, singing and abusing at each other. After a while, they came up to me and tried selling drugs. When I politely declined, they sat next to me. One of them started a conversation with me while the other started to go through my bag. When I saw a bus approaching, they did not let me board it. One of the boys pulled out a knife and started to play with it. Although their tone was friendly, their actions were not. This continued for 10 minutes until they took away some money from my bag and left.
When I shared the story with my friends, I was advised to not report the incidence to the police, as they thought I could be falsely accused of drug abuse. My father has taken a loan to send me to New Zealand. I couldn’t risk everything he has done for me. If I would be accused or framed for using illegal drugs, it would ruin my career and my permit to stay in the country could be revoked.
Last year my $150 bike along with accessories worth $100 was stolen from Hamilton CBD. The bike was locked at the cycle stand in front of ANZ Bank ATM terminal in the city. I lodged a complaint with the police that evening. Since that was my only mode of commutation around the city, I had to buy a new bike the next morning. I parked my second bike in the Wintec campus and went for my classes. I returned after 2 hours and found the second bike was stolen too. I bought a third bike the next day and after three months that was stolen too, once again from the Wintec campus. In all the three cases, the cameras installed nearby would have caught the burglar, but the police made no progress with the case.
Since I had student insurance from India, I claimed $500 for the bikes and the accessories, but I received only $22. The insurance company sighted some rules and denied anything more than $22 in return.
Few months later, when I was walking past the campus, a man hit me slightly on the head from behind. When I turned back, he gave me a stern look, came close, showed me the middle finger and left. I did not respond to him but complained to the security officer of the campus. I was asked to complain to the police if the incident occurred again.