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United for safer streetsBy KAREN MANGNALL - Manukau Courier
Neighbourhood Support groups are sprouting in Otara at the rate of around one a week - 25 new groups have formed in just six months. Co-ordinator Poutoa Papali’i says they’re aiming for 50 of the street-based groups by June. Community safety is "a big issue" behind the upsurge, he says. That’s reflected in a 2009 Manukau City Council citizens survey that rated Otara as the ward where residents were most likely to be victims of crime and to feel unsafe in their neighbourhood. Now residents are turning to Neighbourhood Support as a way to reclaim their communities, Mr Papali’i says. Each group of around 10 homes on a street meets monthly, often with guest speakers from the council, the police or other government agencies. "We can provide information packs on what to do and who to call if they’re confronted with criminal activity, civil defence, emergencies, drugs, noise control, broken pipes and so on." If a resident goes on holiday, they’re encouraged to contact a reliable neighbour to keep an eye on their house and make sure the property looks occupied. "It’s about helping neighbours and taking care of each other," Mr Papali’i says. Crime prevention is a big focus for Neighbourhood Support groups. A united and vigilant neighbourhood is the best way to deter criminals, community constable Jan de Moor says. "It’s when you shut yourself off from everybody else that those cracks appear and offenders feel they can do what they want with impunity." Police provide Neighbourhood Support groups with crime prevention tips and details about offenders and suspicious vehicles. In return, residents are providing better information about when and where police patrols are needed. "A large proportion of crimes aren’t solved by police alone – we need community input as well," Mr de Moor says. That co-operation is already having an effect in Otara’s Neighbourhood Support streets. There’s been a "marked decrease" in youth gangs, vandalism, burglary and other antisocial behaviour, and businesses are reporting less harassment. "I’ve been policing in Otara for six years and from a police perspective it feels like a safer place," Mr de Moor says. After seven years of working in the area, council safe communities co-ordinator Rosetta Reti Simanu agrees Otara feels safer. "A huge part of it is crime prevention but it’s also community development," she says. Neighbourhood Support groups were behind the Sandbrook Park playground replacement and the cleanups around Dawson Rd and Pearl Baker Drive. Other groups lobby for local improvements such as speed bumps and safe crossings on busy roads, liquor bans or a gardening co-op to provide fruit and vegetables. In a ward with a transient and multi-ethnic population, the Otara groups are helping to forge a sense of community – even between feuding neighbours or families ostracised for troublemaking. "There’s a huge similarity between setting up Neighbourhood Support groups and the village concept where we all know each other and look after each other," Ms Reti Simanu says. "With everyone looking after each other, people feel safer." To find out about joining or starting a Neighbourhood Support group in Otara, call Poutoa Papali’i on 272-3041 or poutoa (at) otarahealth (dot) org (dot) nz or call the Otara community constables on 272-0900. Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/manukau-courier/3317451/United-for-safer-streets |
