Meet our Urban Liaison Officers

You may spot a few friendly faces walking around our city streets in blue uniforms. They are Wellington City Council’s new Urban Liaison Officers, a team who will work closely with businesses, NZ Police, social services, and Council teams to prevent harm, respond to emerging issues, and improve perceptions of safety across the city.

Group of four people standing on the street wearing blue uniform. — From left to right: Isaak, Kalia, Ellis, Andy

The team is one of the key initiatives in the City Safety and Wellbeing Plan, and from the end of June they will have an extended presence in the evenings from Thursday to Saturday. They’ll provide on-the-ground support, monitor safety trends, and report wellbeing concerns to support a joined-up response with partner agencies.

Get to know some of the officers and find out why they are excited to be caring for Wellington city and its people.

Meet Kaila

Tell us more about your career so far.
I'm straight out of university where I did my master’s in human geography and my undergraduate degree in geography and indigenous development. Human geography is broken into three disciplines. There’s the physical side, which is to do with the mountains and rivers. There’s environmental management, which is a crossover of human and the physical, and how people react with the environment. And then there’s the space around what drives people to do things, what are the impacts and how do people interact with the physical space.

Why were you interested in the role?
I'm hugely people oriented, so I thought this would be quite a good bridge for that, especially coming out of study. I want to make a tangible impact in my day.

I think that's the beauty of this role. I'm interested in being a conduit between different businesses, partners and stakeholders, and meeting people from different walks of life.

I think the inclusion aspect of this role is quite nice, seeing what we can do to support other people to feel more included and welcome within the city.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
I really enjoy oil painting. It’s a good way to like zen out.

Meet Isaak

Tell us more about your career so far.
Before this job I used to work in a non-sworn capacity at the police station in Victoria Street, and before that I worked in retail at a supermarket.

What interested you about the role?
The main thing I’m looking forward to is how it’s an extension of my work with the police, working with vulnerable people and those who are having a bad day who need someone to talk to, or need help sorting out an aspect of their life.

The City Safety and Wellbeing Plan is also for everyone who uses the city. Whether that’s residents, retail shops, rough sleepers or people who are visiting the city or travelling through. If they are here and use the space, they should be able to feel safe and happy using it.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
Cooking and baking. I'm the main cook of my household, so that's what I love.

Urban Liaison Officers Isaak, Andy, Ellis, Kaila in Midland Park

Meet Ellis

Tell us more about your career so far.
I moved here two years ago from England. My academic background is in politics, philosophy and economics. I did my master’s in international political economy, which looks at people's relations between their economic conditions and their sociological experiences. My vocational experience is in urban development and societal development encouraging communalisation - encouraging social groups to take responsibility in their communities.

Why were you interested in the role?
Before this, I worked at JJ Murphy's, the best Irish pub in Wellington! This job came up and I thought it would be interesting to try and implement some strategies that we tried back home, over here.

I'm here to try and help businesses survive in a very tough economic climate and to try and improve the lives of people on the street by helping them access opportunities to help themselves.

I'm looking forward to working with everyone, but I'm most looking forward to tying everyone together. I feel like a lot of people see each other's goals as quite contradictory. It’s going to be good to tie everyone together - the charities, the businesses and the people.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
I like film photography and travelling. I like to do cityscape photography and nature photography, specifically animals. I often head out to the south coast on a nice day and do film photography, and I go out to Zealandia sometimes too.

Meet Andy

Tell us more about your career so far.
I just moved from parking at the Council to this role. I was in the car parking team for two years before this.

Why were you interested in the role?
I want to contribute my personal energy to make the city safer, because sometimes I feel how it can be unsafe. I also have experience in hospitality, and I want to use my skills to help people in need.

I’ve also seen people struggling on the street, so if I can do something for them, I’m here to do it.

What do you like to do outside of work?
I like to spend time at the beach or in the bush, or I do some gardening. I always go to the parks across the city for a walk.

Learn more about the City Safety Plan and the role of our Urban Liaison Officers on our website.