In the months before 16-year-old Enere McLaren-Taana was fatally stabbed, on May 23 this year, the council was made aware "something needs to be done" about the bus hub’s issues and youth in the city.
A raft of email correspondence relating to safety and security at the bus hub released by the council in response to an official information request by the Otago Daily Times shows in the days following the alleged murder at the bus hub, three complaints were received about the council’s contracted security guards, Allied Security.
The day after the stabbing death, May 24, the council’s customer services staff were told by a parent that their daughter had been "consistently" anxious about being at the bus hub over the past year and a-half.
Her bus stop beside the public toilets was a place where youth congregated to vape, conduct drug deals and "engage in violent behaviour", the parent said.
"The security guards and cameras are not a deterrent.
"I personally have seen those security guards so oblivious to their environment while either being wrapped up in conversation with each other or noses so deep in their phones that it’s no surprise that there’s been a loss of life at the bus hub yesterday," the parent said.
On May 25, the council’s customer services department received a complaint from someone who said they assumed they were one of many to complain about the security guards.
"I’ve watched security for 10 minutes straight while waiting for a bus spend the whole time chatting with teenage girls in front of the police station," the complainant said.
"I was concerned by young 20-something guys getting so familiar with school-age girls. But also the fact that they simply weren’t doing their job; no walking up and down the platform.
"Simply plonked in the safest possible spot, the wall outside the police station.
"You need to take some responsibility for being the hub of travel for so many vulnerable people."
On May 26, the Dunedin City Council received a complaint, which was passed on to the regional council, about the "lack of qualified security" at the bus hub.
"I am just one of many commuters who don’t feel safe and have had negative experiences at the bus hub," the daily bus user said.
They said guards were involved in "inappropriate behaviour themselves".
They reported guards vaping and socialising with youths, allowing the area to be used as a place to loiter, condoning "illicit activities" and racial slurs.
"They are not ‘security’.
"I am writing this as I’m devastated by the loss of a young boy’s life and saddened this could have been avoided by employing correct security for the bus hub right from the beginning."
On May 28, the council told the ODT it had received two complaints regarding security guards, stating "both complaints were very minor in nature".
On December 23 last year, a bus driver was allegedly assaulted at the bus hub by an intoxicated man while a security guard was at the scene.
In February, Allied Security reported an incident to the council in which a group of five or six teenage boys were denied entry to a bus.
During the exchange between the driver and the teens "one of the group of teens muttered under his breath, ‘Oh, this guy wants a stab’", the Allied Security report said .
Moments later one of the teens threw a McDonald’s sundae at the bus driver’s head, the report said.
Among the council emails were minutes for a February meeting of the multi-agency "Social Well-being Advisory Group".
The minutes show Allied Security guards had de-escalation training, but the council was unsure whether there was any "youth-specific training" for guards.
"Something concrete needs to be done, but also we need a way to acknowledge the bigger systematic issues to show that Dunedin has their backs and will look after the youth," the minutes said.
Allied Security referred all ODT questions to the council.
Council acting chief executive Amanda Vercoe said the issue of youth-specific training for security guards was due to be addressed at a workshop on May 29, but did not proceed due to the tragedy in the preceding days.
"This will be followed up."
The council did monitor the performance of Allied Security guards, she said.
The council provided appropriate oversight of the security services contract through both regular meetings and meetings in response to incidents, she said.
Further, security provision had been adjusted in response to complaints, she said.
"The bus hub comes with its own challenges as it is a public road and footpath and there are multiple lines of responsibilities because it is a public space involving multiple agencies.
"We are aware there are ongoing issues and we’re working really hard to address those that we have direct influence over.
"ORC’s focus is how to improve people’s perception of the bus hub as a safe place."
