Central city parking – you get what you pay for

Auckland City Central Police say “you get what you pay for” when it comes to parking in the central city.

Following a significant spike in theft from vehicles in the central city over the past year (an increase of almost 30% on year to date figures), Police intelligence analysis has revealed that the likelihood of motorists becoming victims of vehicle crime is significantly influenced by the location in which they choose to park.

Auckland City Central Area Commander, Inspector Andrew Coster said, “Selecting cheap parking is frequently a trade-off against security with low cost operators investing little in features that will enhance parking security. Many motorists will choose to park based on price without appreciating the risk to which they may be exposing their property. This is further exacerbated when people leave valuables such as laptops, GPS devices, cellphones and other electronics inside their parked vehicles.”

“At this time when the public are debating the merits of parking charges in the central city, it is important to remember that parking is not only about price and, when it comes to security, you generally get what you pay for,” Inspector Coster said.

Security features generally associated with reputable and well-established carparks include:
•       good CCTV camera coverage
•       permanent staff on site
•       barrier arms
•       good lighting
•       open sight lines to public spaces
•       access points that make it difficult for offenders to enter and leave the carparks unnoticed.

In contrast, low cost carparks, frequently established on a short term basis on temporarily available sites will generally not have these security features. Likewise, depending on location, roadside parking frequently does not offer the same security that a well-managed, well equipped car parking building does.