Patrol ‘grateful’ for car donation

Ma¯ngere’s fledgling community patrol is almost ready to get out around the streets.

The new patrol is in the final stages of vetting and processing the first batch of its volunteers.

It’s been an effort to get the patrol off the ground - police and Community Patrols New Zealand first called for volunteers nearly a year ago.

But the hard work has paid off with the donation of a vehicle: a bright yellow Holden Barina.

Patrol coordinator Shelley Leef says finding a dedicated patrol vehicle is often the hardest part in starting out.

‘‘We’re very grateful for the car being donated. For Ma¯ngere this means another set of eyes out there, volunteers working together, people meeting each other from different ethnic groups as well,’’ she says.

In the next year Leef, who has a background in security, says she wants the patrol to grow and to potentially have two vehicles to cover the area.

The Ma¯ngere patrol will be the ninth in South Auckland. Long term, Leef says she hopes to set up a patrol in ta¯huhu.

‘‘Almost every area is covered, but I know our neighbours in ta¯huhu don’t have one yet.’’

Ma¯ngere has been the subject of many negative headlines in national news - particularly a string of violent robberies.

But Ma¯ngere South neighbourhood policing team’s Constable Aaron Charles says the patrol is in a position to make a difference.

‘‘We’re all about identifying capable guardians for the community and the patrol is seen like a focal point for that,’’ he says.

‘‘We’re hoping the community will see that and want to engage, we want them to take ownership of their community.’’

Charles says police are currently working out areas of high risk or concern to ‘‘get our best bang for buck with our patrol’’.

There will be a plan drawn up ‘‘so when they are patrolling they are making a worthwhile contribution to the area’’, he says.

Local businesses NZ Cars Ltd and Immigration Matters NZ were behind the car donation.

Police and the patrols from Papatoetoe and Ma¯ngere presented Philip Watson and Jag Sidhu with certificates of appreciation at the car’s launch.