SAFE CITY - Yeah Right!

Safe City Officers will begin patrolling Christchurch's central city streets from next Monday (20 October).

Up to 12 officers, working in pairs, will walk the central city streets from 9pm to 5.30am on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights helping to raise residents and visitors perception of safety in the central city after dark.

Last year's Quality of Life in 12 of New Zealand's Cities report found Christchurch had the lowest percentage of residents who felt safe in their city centre after dark which Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker says was unacceptable.

"Perceptions of safety take the longest to change but the Council is committed to making Christchurch the safest Image by publik16 via Flickrcity in New Zealand and will look to introduce whatever is necessary to make our city safer for both residents and visitors.

"Statistics show in cities where Safe City Officer programmes operate the perception of safety after dark is 76 per cent higher."

Mr Parker says with the Safe City Officers and 25 additional crime prevention cameras, which will be operational in the city before Christmas, Council is looking for a significant improvement in the public's perception of safety in the city.

The Safe City Officers will focus on being highly visible in public areas already identified as high-risk for criminal offending and anti-social behaviour. Their prime roles will be to provide people with information and assistance; deter crime and anti-social behaviour through their visibility; collaborate and provide information to the police, Council and other agencies; and help identify hazards and other issues to help create a safe, vibrant night-time environment.

by Ewan-M via Flickr(Actually Bob, this is about Alcohol... and a ratepayer funded grift based on systemically flawed drug policy that only serves to pretend to fix the real problem. It will satisfy 'the public' who have been unjustly deluded into supporting more cameras and those for whom getting ugly on youth is an aging pastime. If we really fixed what is broken we wouldn't need to sanitise the sale of alcohol. /Blair)

The Safe City Officer programme will be operated by a local security company during the first six months while Council scopes the long-term operating requirements of the programme.
Mr Parker says the safe city officers will be easily identified in their uniform and yellow and black high-visibility jacket.

"It is great to have this new safety initiative operating in the week the city will be hosting 500 delegates from 28 countries at the 17th International Safe Communities Conference."

HOWEVER Consider what "working together to make a difference" really looks like....

In an August 2007 letter to the Denver City Council, Seattle [Christchurch's Sister City]councilmen Nick Licata and Tom Rasmussen referred to their city’s "cannabis" ordinance as “safe, effective, and inexpensive.” They also noted that, “In the three years since [the measure] was adopted, Seattle has experienced a significant decline in the number of marijuana arrests and prosecutions undertaken.” In fact, Seattle handled just 125 marijuana possession cases in 2006, compared to approximately 1,400 in Denver, despite it having a smaller population.

Fortunately for Denver citizens, however, there is an intervention – and a very public discussion – underway. As a result of the successful initiative in 2007, Mayor John Hickenlooper appointed a Marijuana Policy Review Panel, which is officially charged with implementing the “lowest priority” ordinance to the greatest extent possible.

The panel includes representatives of the police department and city attorney’s office, two marijuana policy reform advocates, three defense attorneys, a drug and alcohol abuse prevention counselor, and a domestic violence prevention advocate. The Denver District Attorney’s office was also supposed to be represented, but it refused to participate – a perfect example of the stubbornness and ignorance that lies at the heart of marijuana prohibition.

Image by mastermaq

We'll Bugger Me! Seattle SAFER than Christchurch, WHO's deciding......?

See how ALL the participants in the Safer Christchurch initiative (notable for its exclusion of pro-reform policy stakeholders, contrary to Ottawa Charter Principles) avoid discussion from any quarter - NZ Police, Civic Leaders, Politicians etc. refuse to meet Harm Reductionists such as Judge Paradis etc. yet mutually laud the efforts of compatriot prohibitionists... Yuk, it makes me sick reading this...