Neighbours watch out for neighbours
Vandals, thieves brawlers beware.
A group of residents is patrolling Mt Roskill streets on the lookout for suspicious activity.
The newly formed Mount Roskill Community Patrol was launched at a ceremony at St Giles Presbyterian Church on May 13.
The launch marks six months since the patrol was initiated by Mt Roskill resident Taki Tuhaka.
Among those in attend-
and ance at the event were Mt Roskill MP Phil Goff and list MP Parmjeet Parmar.
Parmar presented the patrollers with their ID badges before joining the group on its first patrol of the suburb.
Mount Roskill Community Patrol secretary Merril Bourne says the group partners with the police to make the community safer.
‘‘Patrols can be out there any day or night of the week acting as the eyes and ears for our community,’’ Bourne says.
Volunteers are vetted and trained over three months before working in small groups to patrol the suburbs in cars, often at night.
While patrollers do not have police powers, they note suspicious activity and inform the police immediately.
Miller says Community Patrols New Zealand is always looking for new members to join.