A Newshub investigation has revealed Auckland neighbourhoods dominate a leaderboard of the most violent city hot spots in the country.
Statistics New Zealand has mapped 2015 police crime data, released to Newshub under the Official Information Act, to show the areas with the highest number of assaults, sexual assaults and robberies in public places.
The crimes include anything from rape to being beaten up or being robbed of your cellphone at knife-point.
Three of the five most violent city areas (precincts where there are more than 3000 residents) are in Auckland's CBD.
A zone described as Auckland Central West tops the list.
The approximately one square kilometre grid follows part of Queen St and includes the area around the Sky Tower and casino, as well as the eclectic entertainment strip of Karangahape Rd.
Last calendar year 550 people were the victims of assaults, sexual attacks and robberies in this area.
That’s a rate for these violent crimes more than six-and-a-half times the national average.
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A square kilometre of downtown Wellington also features strongly coming in at number two on the list of violent hot spots.
Hamilton’s inner city comes in at number three.
Bordering the country’s number one precinct are two others in downtown Auckland. They’re known as Auckland Central East and Auckland Harbourside.
These areas include the former red light district (to the east of Queen St) which is now home to apartments, restaurants, bars, Vector Arena and Auckland University. There were 375 robberies, assaults and sexual attacks in this area last year – more than five times the national average.
Harbourside includes the up-market retail and restaurant precinct known as Britomart, along with the bar and restaurant lined waterfront. Two hundred and fifty-three people were assaulted or robbed in this part of the CBD in 2015.
See the rest of the top 10 here:
In Dunedin:
In the Auckland region:
In the Auckland region:
*By overlaying population data in the zones where crime has occurred, Statistics NZ has been able to work out the national average for incidents of public place violence.
*Article uses 2015 statistics of victimisations by assault, sexual assault and robbery in public places.
Newshub.
