Taupō District Council set out to better understand how its community experienced services but what they uncovered was far more urgent: a serious staff safety risk hidden in siloed systems.

Disconnected data left critical gaps in visibility

Each year, Taupō District Council receives thousands of service requests - from barking dogs to building consents. But without a central way to connect this feedback, critical patterns remain buried across teams and outdated systems. 

There was no single source of truth. Each team worked from its own data - and that meant frontline staff were sometimes visiting high-risk properties without knowing what they were walking into.

One historic dataset revealed what no one expected

When the Council uploaded 12 months of historic service request data into the AskYourTeam platform, new cross-functional insights began to emerge. 

One pattern was impossible to ignore: 86 addresses linked to gang-affiliated activity were identified across the district. Fewer than 20% had previously been flagged in internal systems. Staff had been unknowingly attending these properties alone - a major safety concern.

From discovery to action in under four months

Taupō District Council acted quickly. The addresses were flagged in internal systems, and staff are now alerted ahead of visits and supported with police escorts if required.

Other departments — including compliance, dog control, and building inspections — also now work from a shared source of truth. The shift has driven greater cross-team awareness and demonstrated to Council leadership just how powerful integrated insights can be.

"We weren't looking for jewels - but wow. This one insight completely changed how we protect our people."

              - Tania Russell, Community Engagement & Development Manager, Taupō District Council