Before you do something silly…

Genteel by reputation but it's getting meaner, more menacing out there on the streets of Tauranga. Ask the parking officers. They see it and experience it most days.

And that's why Tauranga City Council is dabbling with the idea of kitting out its parking wardens with security cameras.

‘Heated' is how one parking officer describes the mood on the street these days. 'When people might have had a grizzle and given you the fingers, they are now coming up to you and having a go.”

This parking officer knows ‘heated'. He's been stabbed, had to be stitched up. Admittedly, it was an alcohol or drug-fuelled rage when he was a doorman outside an Auckland nightclub that caused that incident – and not a $12 parking ticket in Tauranga.

But that experience means he's very attuned to behaviours and he senses they are changing in Tauranga.

'One parking officer was physically shoved. And another guy, well someone threatened to kill him.” Police are dealing with that matter. It's understood the man has been charged. 'And all over a parking ticket. That's a bit ridiculous.”

There was another indicator of the mood out there.

Before talking to the parking officer, The Weekend Sun was put on notice. 'Hi Hunter, just letting you know that we do need the parking officer to remain anonymous,” said an email from the TCC.

'This is because we've had members of the public coming into our offices trying to track down parking officers in order to threaten them. Trust you understand.”

We understand that demonstrates the level of concern for the safety of parking officers and the reality of the problem.

But will an electronic camera, the size of a cellphone and tacked to the lapel of a parking officer's jacket defuse that behaviour? Already there is evidence it can be a visual disincentive.

'One of our guys was wearing the camera the other day and had a heated confrontation with someone,” says the anonymous parking officer. 'The perpetrator spotted the camera and he toned down straight away, backed right down and stopped swearing.”

In the end, the man was irritable but manageable and even polite.

So what was developing as a nasty physical confrontation was de-escalated by the camera. 'Yes, it's quite comforting. It's evidence,” says the parking officer. 'And it's irrefutable evidence. You can't argue with what's recorded on the camera.” And it'd also good for clarity.

'Someone may accuse us of being abrasive, perhaps contributing to a confrontation. The camera pictures and audio will show one way or another.” The officers are not frightened of that.

'And a member of the public may complain and insist they were nice and polite. The camera may prove them to be aggressive and abusive.”

To understand the need for security cameras is to understand the inherent dangers of being a parking officer. Our officer has a strapping 120kg frame and probably knows how to handle himself. And while in his previous incarnation as a security officer people have tried to hit him with beer handles and bottles, he has avoided being thumped as a parking officer only by using his wits and words. But he's been close.

'I'd just given a guy a $200 registration and Warrant of Fitness ticket. It was outside the Tauranga District Court and he got right in my face.

'It was nose-to-nose and tense.” He knew if he didn't use his smarts and talk his way out of it, the next thing would be a fist.

'I explained it could have been someone else who got the ticket. It just happened to be his car. Nothing personal. Wrong place at the wrong time.”

The officer's heart was pumping. It gave him a fright. 'He had the aura about him that he would have a go if he wanted to.” Would the use of personal security camera have made a difference? Quite possibly.

It raises another question? Why are people getting so angry?

'Most of the people who get upset have a backstory,” says our officer. 'A lot of them tell me they have recently been made redundant and their levels of patience and understanding are a lot lower than if they were happily employed.”

Others say they are new to town and struggling to find a home.

'Unfortunately, we are a voicing platform for people to explode. Some people want to chat and feel better for it – others don't. But that doesn't give them the right to start getting aggressive.”

TCC is trialling one camera for six weeks. And whether the parking officer verbally advises people they have a recording device, or they wear a sign saying ‘Hi you are on security camera', it's hoped the introduction of technology will help prevent Tauranga reverting to a frontier town.

And it seems the security cameras have been partially effective elsewhere.

Before the cameras were introduced in the Western Bay of Plenty district last December enforcement officers were experiencing verbal and physical abuse and a number of incidents had been reported to the police.

Western Bay of Plenty District Council's compliance and regulatory manager Alison Curtis says physical encounters have reduced with the introduction of cameras. However, incidents of verbal abuse and harassment have remained about the same.

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5 comments

Observer

Posted on 24-06-2016 12:31 | By stephennel

It raises another question? Why are people getting so angry? Hunter, why don't you investigate the real reasons and then publish the full story?


Councils attitude

Posted on 24-06-2016 12:53 | By Kenworthlogger

I can understand why some people would be hostile towards council. Its because of their anal attude. I got whacked with a $150 fine from council. My crime. I used the bus lane to turn into Gull petrol station in heavy traffic on Hewletts road. Apparently i traveled 100 meters in the bus lane when you are only allowed to travel 50 meters. Sorry i could not see ahead in the bumper to bumper traffic to estimate correctly how far 50 meters is. My bad, should have been a warning but no $150 fine. No excuse. First fine i have ever had in my life.


@KenWL

Posted on 24-06-2016 13:44 | By morepork

It undermines our confidence in the Law when stupid things like this happen. He should have given you a warning and let it go. $150 is unfair and unreasonable. No wonder we come to view this kind of pettiness as cynical fund-raising by Law Enforcement. I didn't know about the 50 meters and have occasionally done what you did. It is a victimless "crime" if no buses are held up by it.


Evidence

Posted on 24-06-2016 14:24 | By Hiwinui

Having been accused publicly on one occasion of becoming hysterical I was very pleased that a recording of the event showed that I had deliberately talked slowly, clearly and calmly. I support the use, it both dissuades both parties from confrontational attitudes and provides a record if further action by either party is contemplated. Great idea!


Totally agree Morepork

Posted on 24-06-2016 14:41 | By Kenworthlogger

To say i was utterly speechless at the council was an understatement. I actually met with the council rep and explained i had sat patiently in the traffic for a good 20 mins in my car until i was within what i thought was 50 meters. I explained this is hard to do when there is bumper to bumper traffic and you cannot see over the roof of the car in front to measure 50 meters. I was told i could have stopped in the bus lane and sat with my indicator on trying to get back into the left lane while blocking the bus lane until a gap for me to enter appeared again thus avoiding a fine all the while blocking any potential bus that came along. This made no sense to me at all. No buses came along the whole time i was on Hewletts.


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