Paihia residents' attempts to reduce the violent crime plaguing their town has the full support of the local council, Far North Mayor John Carter says.
A report earlier this week in the Northland Age said targeting people, generally tourists, and violently assaulting them had almost become a sport in Paihia.
Mr Carter told TVNZ1's Breakfast the Bay of Islands town was employing measures that had been successful in other Northland towns in including Kaikohe, Kerikeri and Kaitaia.
"We’ve set up surveillance cameras that are 24-hour monitored, we have security patrols…we also involve the police," he said.
"The consequence of crimes in towns like Kaitaia have dropped by 70 per cent which has been fantastic."
Mr Carter said the Foreshore for Sure group, who were fundraising to pay for a professional security service in the town were doing a "brilliant job for us."
"They’re supported by Focus Paihia and many others in the community, the business group, the hospitality sector, we’ve got tremendous support across the community for this proposal," he said.
"This is going to work for us."
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