Powerless authorities facing threats of fatal violence at a West Coast council

In recent times, a troubling trend of online harassment and threats against local politicians has come to light, with several councils across the country reporting increased instances of abuse.

The latest incident involves the Grey District Council, where councillors and the mayor have been subjected to death threats. The West Coast Police have received a complaint from the council's chief executive, Joanne Soderlund, regarding these anonymous threats. The Greymouth Police have been called in to investigate the matter.

Similarly, the Criminal Police Department Ludwigshafen (Kriminalpolizei Ludwigshafen) in Germany has initiated investigations into online threats and insults following the exclusion of a candidate in a mayoral election. The threats involved references to assassination and torture.

Twenty local body politicians in New Zealand have shared their experiences of online abuse and threats on Breakfast, with the abuse ranging from threats of physical harm to public intimidation. Family members of the politicians have also been targeted in these attacks.

In response to this growing issue, the Grey District Council, which is co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air (LDR is a local body journalism funded by these organizations), is spending additional costs to beef up its security systems and taking measures to keep staff safe, especially those dealing with the public.

The council's mayor, Tania Gibson, has expressed disappointment with the police's response to the threats. However, the police have stated that there is not enough evidence of the alleged offences to take further action.

In a bid to support women in public office, the Minister for Women, Nicola Grigg, has released an online toolkit to help them deal with online harassment. Gibson has welcomed the release of this toolkit.

Since the Grey District Council went public over its police complaint, there has been support from people who have called and expressed sympathy. Elected members from various local bodies across the country have also spoken out about their own experiences of online harassment and threats. Despite the trolls defending their online abuse, telling councillors to either "suck it up" or stand down, it is clear that this issue requires collective action and support to ensure the safety and well-being of our elected representatives.