A SOUTHERN council struggling with anti-social behaviour towards its staff has revealed police were called on twice last month following abuse.

Invercargill City Council’s latest health, safety and wellbeing report showed 23 incidents relating to verbal abuse and threatening behaviour were reported in June — the most it had recorded for a one-month period over the past year.

Two of those were deemed “high-potential” and involved the police.

Changes made in response to the two incidents included staffing arrangements, enhanced police engagement and de-escalation training, the report showed.

It was not the first time police had been called on at the council.

In January, a contractor working for the organisation was threatened by members of the public which resulted in police engagement, an earlier report showed.

The 23 overall incidents in June marked an increase from 20 in May, which at the time was the most for the previous 12 months.

Council group manager community engagement and corporate services Trudie Hurst said in June that staff were encouraged to report threatening or abusive behaviour.

Hurst explained numbers included in the council data related to employees, contractors or members of the public at council facilities or spaces, but not elected members unless they lodged an incident.

A health, safety and wellbeing report is presented to councillors every month, although the topic is at times discussed with public excluded.

The council has tackled its health and safety behind closed doors four times this year, including last month when it discussed it in both public and private at the same meeting.

All employees receive health and safety training when they start at council and there have been a total of 386 attendances this year alone, the report showed.

Use of the council’s employee assistance programme remained “steady” with 12 sessions clocked in June.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.