Extra security called in after spike of crimes at bus and train stations

The West Auckland suburb of New Lynn has been plagued by unruly youths causing trouble at transport hubs, with a spike in crime at bus and train stations over the past month.

Auckland Transport figures show there were 44 reports of disorderly criminal or suspicious behaviour, drunkenness, and verbal abuse at bus and train stations in April, compared to just 29 in March.

There were four recorded incidents of disorderly or suspicious behaviour or intoxication at New Lynn station in April - as much as the three previous months combined.

Two April incidents at New Lynn described a "known" group of disorderly youths, with the report on one of the incidents stating that one of the youths might have a knife.

'Scary and uncomfortable'

People waiting at New Lynn station yesterday afternoon had mixed feelings about safety.

One woman waiting for a bus at the station told RNZ she was worried about the violence.

"It made me feel uneasy, to be honest," she said of the recent crime-filled headlines about New Lynn. "Especially since that's where all the issues were happening."

"Waiting for [the bus] feels kind of scary and uncomfortable, but once I'm on the bus, it's all right."

But another waiting passenger was not as concerned.

"For the most part, I think Auckland's public transport feels safe to me.

"The ordinary to me is just, sometimes having people that are drinking, but I haven't seen anything that's like extra crazy."

'An increase in assaults'

West Area Prevention Manager Kelly Farrant, said the ring-leaders for the New Lynn crime spike were as young as 12.

"We believe that a small group of young offenders have been committing the bulk of recent offending and these young people have been arrested."

Farrant said the group will be referred to youth aid or will appear before the youth court, and she says gangs have not been involved in any of the arrests made.

She said the fights scaled up in the school holidays, but still continued when the term started.

"School fights are something that have been happening for years. What we have seen in New Lynn over April is an increase in assaults, and not necessarily school fights."

Farrant said more police teams have been deployed to the New Lynn area.

"Over the last few weeks the community will have seen and felt an increasing police presence in the area and we will continue to have an increased presence over the coming weeks."

'Lots of police'

Residents have noticed the amped-up security presence from Pasifika Wardens, Community Patrol and security guards.

"Just today, seeing all the people in the yellow vests here. But usually, it's not that often that you'll see a lot of security," one woman said.

"And lots of police, that's what we see."

A mother waiting for lunch said she had noticed it as well.

"I was here last night and there was a load of community patrol around. So they're obviously dealing with it."

Employees of shops bordering the stations on Totara Avenue said the increased police presence made them feel safer.

"From last week, I noticed a lot of security around here," one said.

"By having extra security, I think it's going to make everyone more comfortable," said another.

In a statement, the New Lynn Business Association said it had invested in a CCTV system to deter criminal activity.

Putting people off public transport

Public Transport Users Association national co-ordinator Jon Reeves said the crime spike was putting people off using public transport.

"The last thing we want is this spreading, because it will deter especially vulnerable users from using public transport, and of course just general users of public transport may start giving up and using cars."

Reeves wanted to see dedicated police roaming public transport stations.

"These people know what they can get away with, and they know that security guards like Auckland Transport is having, really have no power. They have as much power as you or I. Right now what we need is a dedicated police team immediately, say 15 to 20 officers, on a broad range of all public transport around Auckland."

Auckland Transport director of public transit and active modes Stacey Van Der Putten said they had seen this pattern of crime re-emerging since 2022.

"What we saw more recently was enhanced by the school holidays. We do always do have a focus on school holidays, we do see unfortunate trends with events across the network."

Auckland Transport's records of passenger incidents show that since 2022, there has been 215 incidents at New Lynn station - it's the second biggest total, after Britomart with 679 recorded.

That included incidents such as fare evasion and falls.

Since 2022, there have been 56 incidents at New Lynn station of disorderly behaviour, criminal activity, intoxication, including two counts of verbal abuse.

At Britomart station, there were 131 - more than 100 of which were records of disorderly behaviour.

Van Der Putten said Auckland Transport was working on a community solution and making their public transport facilities inviting places that people wanted to be.

"We're not going to do that if we say, 'bad youth, not allowed here', that's not going to work. So we need to understand what's behind these issues, and work with agencies and partners that understand this more in depth than we do."

Auckland Transport has redeployed a transport officer to New Lynn every afternoon after 4.30pm, but Putten said it was a limited workforce.

"They're part of the solution, not the solution. There's station security that are positioned there by our operator Auckland one rail, and you have these new deployments that are coming from the city to support some of these hubs as well, and then you have local policing."

She said people can text sightings of anti-social behaviour or crime at transport stations to their Crime Stoppers number, 4030.