We may not always get things right, but Our people Are people - and abusive behaviour towards our staff is not okay.
We’re asking Tairāwhiti please, treat people with kindness and respect.
Our people are people - He iwi anō he tangata tonu
Since the start of 2023 there’s been a 39% hike in abuse and threats aimed at staff because of where they work. More of these occurrences require police involvement than ever before.
Incidents have ranged from physical assault and verbal abuse to intimidation and low-level threatening behaviour.
The abuse happens across all council teams, not just those that are customer-facing, and outside office hours as well.
We’re also seeing an increase in unacceptable online social media posts directed at individual staff.
Our people are feeling increasingly intimidated and scared.
Council's chief executive Nedine Thatcher Swann acknowledged that this year has been an immensely challenging time for people right across our region, who may be feeling hurt or frustrated.
We may not always get things right, but our people, are people, and abusive behaviour is not okay. We’re asking Tairāwhiti please, treat people with kindness and respect.
We're rolling out a campaign promoting the message and a video featuring our staff.