An Auckland paramedic says the welfare of St John workers needs to be prioritised after his car was stolen while he worked.
Neal Latto's white Nissan Terrano was stolen from outside the ambulance depot in Papakura while he was on a callout overnight.
He returned to the station at 3am on Tuesday only to find broken glass where his car had been parked.
It was only part way through his shift, and Mr Latto had to carry on through the rest of his day knowing his car was not waiting for him back at the depot.
He told Newshub it's not the first time cars have been targeted in Papakura. His previous vehicle's number plates were stolen and thieves have been caught in the act trying to steal cars there in the past.
Mr Latto said calls for a security fence aren't being acted on.
"We have been trying to get a security fence installed, to keep our cars safe, and us safe in south Auckland."
He said the current situation was not fair and more needs to be done.
"We need to be looked after just as much as everybody else, our security should be paramount when we go to work."
Police say they're investigating the incident further. A spokesperson for St John said it was looking into options for more security at the site.
"It is disappointing and unacceptable that someone would come onto private property to steal a car belonging to one of our ambulance officers," St John Franklin territory manager Lisa Buckingham told Newshub.
"The matter has been referred to Police and we are reviewing security at this site and will look into suitable options to deter this sort of behaviour."
Newshub.
