Wellington Police took to the beat this week with the recommencement of the Mahi Ngātahi crime prevention initiative.

Wellington staff on the beat for Operation Mahi Ngātahi this week met up with ‘Officer O’Leary’ of Wellington Paranormal fame

Set to run until January 31 2022, the operation will see dedicated Police foot patrols covering inner-city areas between 10am and 7pm each day.

“This is the second year we have used this initiative and it’s a significant way Police can tangibly support the Pōneke Promise social contract, and our community and partners,” says Wellington Area Commander Inspector Dean Silvester.

The Spring and Summer months see an increase in demand for Police services in the Wellington central business district.

“COVID-19 restrictions aside, our warmer months bring more people into the city to socialise and shop. More people and more activity leads to an increase in anti-social behaviour, property theft and alcohol-related issues during the day,” says Inspector Silvester.

“A review of crime trends and patterns, coupled with feedback from our retailers, and we know a highly visible Police presence is an effective means of preventing and de-escalating these types of behaviours and issues."

Operation Mahi Ngātahi is one of several co-ordinated and comprehensive solutions and initiatives being utilised by the Pōneke Promise partners.

“We are very much joined together with our partners to ensure Wellington City is a place people can enjoy while both being and feeling safe,” says Inspector Silvester.

Wellington City Council has now launched an interactive site providing information about the Pōneke Promise initiatives in place to address concerns around safety in the central Wellington.

“We’re really excited about the opportunity to showcase the range of Pōneke Promise initiatives underway through the interactive site, which we’ll continue to develop as the programme continues.” says Jenny Rains, Manager Community Services, Wellington City Council.

The Pōneke Promise site can be accessed via https://wellington.govt.nz/community-support-and-resources/safety-in-wellington/the-poneke-promise(link is external) or directly via https://wcc.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=83d4e8cdb17d42c081108e0fb33fe77d(link is external) (best accessed via a desktop)

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