New policing centre for North Shore

North Shore is to be the site of the largest police station built in New Zealand since Dunedin Central station opened in 1995.

Police Minister George Hawkins says the North Shore’s changing demographics, the unsuitability of the current policing centre at Takapuna and Takapuna’s traffic congestion were behind the move to build a new policing centre for the area.

A police Strategic Property Review of Greater Auckland had identified the need for a relocated policing centre on the North Shore as a priority, both to meet future policing requirements and optimise police response times, Mr Hawkins said.

“Takapuna is increasingly removed from the main areas of population and increasing levels of crime committed to the north and west,” he said.

A preferred site had yet to be determined, but once established would house the majority of police on the North Shore, Mr Hawkins said.

Facilities would remain at Takapuna, Glenfield and Browns Bay, along with five community bases at Devonport, Sunnynook, Northcote, Birkenhead and Beachhaven.

Mr Hawkins said only $720,000 had been spent on capital works in the last three years of the previous National Government. “The Labour-led Government is committed to spending $60m on police capital works over the next five years, and funding for the new station will be in addition to this,” he said.

North Shore is New Zealand’s fourth largest city, with a current population of around 205,000 including approximately 70,000 residential dwellings. North Shore’s population is expected to reach 255,000 by 2020 and further increase in density around existing wards and commercial centres. Business units in the area currently number around 18,000.

The North Shore Policing Area is part of the North Shore/Waitakere/Rodney Police District and employs 217 staff, or almost 30 per cent of the District total. Reported crime in the area has remained constant at around 900 offences per 10,000 population.

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