The Abella Inn, a motel in the Auckland suburb of Epsom, has been visited by the police over 160 times in the past year, according to police data. Last month, the police were called to the inn after an assault incident that led to two people being taken into custody.
From July last year to the end of June 2024, 163 dispatch applications were made to the inn for various reasons, including breaches of electronic monitoring bail, family harm, serious assault, disorder, general theft, and trespass.
Inspector Jim Wilson, the Auckland Eastern area commander, mentioned that the dispatches involved inside and outside the buildings, excluding police-generated events like traffic stops or bail checks. Wilson pointed out the challenge of prioritizing resources to respond to emergency demand.
Local board member Jack Tan, who resides in the area, acknowledged the prevalence of issues such as theft of letter boxes, parcel theft, and car theft in the neighborhood. However, Tan noticed a slight improvement in the situation over the past year, but he believes that a stronger police presence could make a positive difference.
Tan suggested that in the short term, having more police on the road would act as a deterrent, but in the long term, there needs to be more focus on providing support and security in the accommodation places where these issues seem to originate.
Police spokespersons noted that there could be various reasons for the high number of police services at a particular location over a year, especially at sites with shared or temporary accommodation. They stated that they would respond to calls for service and take appropriate action as necessary, depending on the circumstances.
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