Search on for patrol volunteers
Volunteers with a few hours to spare are needed for Cambridge’s first community patrol.
Cambridge Police Senior Constable Holly Warner, who is on the Cambridge Community Patrol Steering Committee, said the more numbers the merrier.
‘‘We’re aiming for about 60, because more volunteers will allow the community to patrol more and also have a day time as well as a night time patrol.’’
Volunteers would not interact with any potential situations, but would act as an extra set of eyes and ears, and be in direct contact with the police.
‘‘They will be linked into the police communications and the Police District Control Centre and utilised at situations where deemed appropriate without putting the volunteers at risk,’’ said Warner.
‘‘Information will flow between police and the community patrol.
‘‘But that’s not to deter anyone from calling 111, people still need to report matters to us.’’
Anyone over the age of 21 with a full drivers license can volunteer.
Their application will be subject to police vetting.
Initial training to become a community patroller will be provided.
Community patrols are inde- pendent from the police but receive regular police guidance, training and tasking.
Volunteers will take notes, which are handed in to the police.
They will also watch out for stolen cars, report and deter signs of suspicious activity, assist at accident and crime scenes, report graffiti and other matters needing attention by authorities.
In the last Cambridge Community Board meeting, chairman Mike Pettit revealed statistics on crime in Cambridge.
The information was gathered by the Waipa District Council through an Official Information Act request to New Zealand Police.
It showed that offences in Cambridge increased at an average of 24.8 per cent from July 2014 to October 2016.
Community Patrols of New Zealand was formed in 2001 and has more than 5000 volunteers throughout the country.
A meeting for those interested in joining the patrol or for people who want more information will be held at the Waipa District Council building in Cambridge on Thursday, February 16, at 6pm.
The Cambridge Police hours are Sunday to Wednesday: 7am - 11pm. Thursdays: 7am - 12am. Fridays and Saturdays: 8am - 3am.