Auckland residents and businesses are in a perpetual state of anxiety as petty theft and violent crime is becoming increasingly common.
Some of those working in the inner city say it's the worst it's ever been; leading to a united call from Auckland businesses for officials to do more to keep crime at bay.
Tony Zheng owns Good Morning Dairy on Karangahape Road, where theft, verbal abuse and physical threats have become just part of an average day on the job.
"Some stealing, they grab something and run away. Some people threaten us and force us to do something," he told 1News.
He says the sheer volume of crime, in his store and on the street outside, is the "worst" he's seen in almost a decade.
Zheng is constantly worried something will happen to his family who also live on site.
"Almost every day dodgy things happen. Even after midnight... people are still sitting, shouting, screaming and banging things," he says. "Honestly, we need the help. We need more police here."
Retail store manager Kieran Norman says it's a similar story all along Karangahape Road. Businesses already finding things tough in lockdown are facing the additional stress from crime on the street.
"It's getting a bit out of control, we are dealing with aggravated interactions pretty much every single day we are here... A lot of businesses are just getting targeted, attacked. We've seen a lot of assaults, thefts, we've seen shop keepers assaulted, and our own customers assaulted."
Residents living in the city have also described seeing regular drug drops, fights and other violent crime. With some fearful of heading out at night. Many of those living and working in the city refuse to walk on the street alone.
One inner city resident Cameron Churchill worries he has brought his French girlfriend to a dangerous place.
"When Laure came over here it was during lockdown. And as we walked from my place to the supermarket I started to feel sort of guilty, realising that I'd brought her to a really dangerous city," he says.
"I had a few experiences where my car was broken into and people were sort of following me."
The law student believes a large factor driving some of what is happening is the problem with meth and would like to see more done to address this.
"I think it gets sort of normalised," he says. "You get used to having to cross the road and avoid people, being followed for periods of time."
The Drug Foundation's most recent State of the Nation report showed while methamphetamine use has remained steady there were "huge" increases in border seizures the previous year, giving "cause for concern".
Meth convictions have also increased steadily since 2013, up from under 2000 in 2013 to more than 2700 in 2020.
Outside of Auckland's CBD violent crime is also constant. This week saw the fatal shooting of a 19-year-old in Mangere on Saturday night; and a gang-related shooting in New Lynn less than 24 hours later.
Worried businesses uniting in this desperate plea to the Prime Minister: "The rise in crime and anti-social behaviour since Covid-19 struck is stark and confronting. Can we ask that you please take urgent action to support recovery and retain our reputation as a safe city and country?"
The group which includes Heart of the City, the Parnell, Karangahape Road, Uptown, Newmarket and Ponsonby Business Associations says action was needed to ensure people could continue to come to these areas to "work, study, shop, eat out and enjoy a wide range of entertainment".
Its calling for increased police resourcing and presence on the street; better management of emergency housing and services for mental health and addiction.
Newmarket Business Association CEO Mark Knoff-Thomas says the plea was not designed to marginalise those whose circumstances saw them end up on the streets, but to see if there was a way of increasing safety.
"A lot of people are being placed into emergency housing which is absolutely the right thing to be doing, but they also need ongoing support to deal with their issues if they have them and I don't see a lot of that at the moment."
In a statement Auckland City Police Inspector Gary Davey acknowledged the growing concern from residents and businesses around crime.
"We absolutely acknowledge their concerns and feel their frustration," he says. "Police work hard every day with a number of teams focusing on the CBD by vehicle and by foot.
"Police do rely on our community to report matters to us, as unfortunately we can't be everywhere."
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