'The idea is to keep it peaceful': New Brighton Guardians back on the mall beat

Anna Spark is a familiar face in the New Brighton area, particularly with young people.

She starts her role today as one of two New Brighton Guardians who will patrol the mall area in a community support capacity.

Said Spark: "I felt that the role was tailor-made for my personality and what I was looking for.

"I’ve been working in security and loss prevention for the last year when I’m not doing youth work."

The 'guardians' is a Christchurch City Council-funded initiative set up by the Positive Directions Trust with the New Brighton Community Safety Partnership to help combat rising crime.

It was previously run in 2015, but due to a lack of funding has not been operating for the past eight years.

“I think this initiative is needed because, from my experience in a security role, the police are so stretched with specific criminal activity they aren’t able to focus on what’s happening in and around the community,” said Spark.

“Theft is through the roof, from supermarkets to jewellery, Subway to Paper Plus.

"It is incredibly challenging with the rising cost of living because people are getting desperate even to feed themselves.”

Positive Directions Trust general manager Phil Tikao and guardian Anna Spark at New Brighton mall. Photo: Geoff Sloan

Spark believes the guardians will help fill the gap by providing extra support with an authoritative presence.

“I think local businesses, with seeing an increase in crime, will well receive the guardians because right now, thieves know that they can get away with things.”

Spark is also a trained youth worker at Youth Alive Trust and coaches basketball to 30-40 young people, five hours a week.

"I’m hoping to bump into a lot of youth out on the streets - and who wouldn’t want to walk around in the sun?

"I really like to interact with people, especially people on the fringes of society.

"So, yeah, I think it’ll be a really good role for me.”

Phil Tikao and Anna Spark patrol the mall. Photo: Geoff Sloan

The guardians will be situated around the mall until early March from Thursday to Sunday, 11am-6pm.

Said Positive Direction Trust general manager Phil Tikao: “We’re kind of rebuilding, we’ll have a new layout in terms of the transport around here.

"So there’s a lot of really neat things happening with pools, and other community events.

"The idea is to keep it peaceful and joyful and a really nice place to be, so the guardians is really an ambassadorial programme that allows that to happen.”