South Auckland businesses say drunken behaviour and intimidation by young window washers is getting out of control and the council needs to change the law.
Window washers in South Auckland. Photo: RNZ / Tiana Barns
Police officers have started issuing summons and trespass notices at the East Tamaki and Bairds Road intersection to crack down on trouble caused by window washers.
Manukau Business Association general manager Kerry Burridge said it was not the only area that needed attention.
She said shop keepers at the Cavendish and Great South Road intersection had to put up with theft, drug and alcohol use and wilful damage in what was gang-related crime.
"This is largely gang-related crime. Most of the youths on that intersection are being run by senior gang members.
"It's a centre for crime. It's a hub. It needs to be cleaned up.
"The council needs to change the law to make it illegal and the police need to have a much greater presence there to protect our citizens," she said.
Ms Burridge said one security guard had received so many threats he resorted to wearing a stab-proof vest at work.
Counties Manukau East Senior Sergeant Neil Phillips said window washers causing problems were now being moved on by police.
He said workshops were also being set up to encourage youth into different forms of employment.
"Window washing has been seen as quite an easy activity.
"So on the one hand we are trying to make the window washing activity less desirable, less easy, by taking this enforcement approach, but rather than just displace them onto another intersection that we may not be looking at at the time we're trying to get to the root of the problem."
Under an Auckland Council bylaw passed last year, window washing of vehicles is unlawful only if it's deemed unsafe or causing an nuisance.
