RWC fan zones not target of major event cost recovery
Police should consider cost recovery for providing a police presence at future commercial events which are run on a ‘for profit’ basis, because diverting police to such events reduces police availability to serve the wider community, Police Association President Greg O’Connor said.
“In principle, where public police resources are diverted to provide a private benefit in security services for a commercial event, the commercial operator ought to be compensating the community, which sees its police resources depleted as a result. This is the approach taken in most overseas countries, including the UK and Australia,” Mr O’Connor said.
Cost-recovery of policing commercial events was raised in the Police Association’s 2011 policy document, Towards a Safer New Zealand, launched yesterday.
“Police currently have a presence at, for example, rock concerts and wine festivals, where punters may be paying upwards of $100 a head into the pockets of the event organisers just to be there. Once on site they are purchasing alcohol which is supplied on a commercial basis. Police are not generally providing the main security service, but are required to be there particularly because where alcohol and crowds are involved, there is always potential for assaults and other violent disorder.
“The perception of safety flowing from having police on site in turn makes the event more attractive for its paying customers. However, if twenty police are required at such an event, that is twenty fewer police who are available to respond to wider public needs, be they 111 calls, attending burglaries, or progressing complaint files,” Mr O’Connor said.
However, Mr O’Connor said policing of Rugby World Cup fan zones, which are primarily community facilities (albeit temporary) would be unlikely to be suitable for cost-recovery.
“Not all major events fit the ‘private good’ security model. For example, the RWC fan zones have been set up by local authorities to provide broad community benefit, and while food and beverages are available on site they are not ticketed, commercial events. Similarly events like Auckland’s Christmas in the Park or Wellington’s Summer City concerts are community events, where policing is clearly a public good.
“Police resources are already stretched in many parts of the country. Policing major commercial events can only stretch resources even more thinly. The cost to the community of providing private security benefits cannot be ignored, and it is inevitable the issue will need to be addressed in future,” Mr O’Connor said.
