The Leader Nelson edition

Volunteer patrol in need of new recruits

- SAMANTHA GEE

An organisati­on whose volunteers act as the ‘‘eyes and ears’’ for the police is on the lookout for new members.

The Nelson Community Patrol is made up of a team of volunteers who take it in turns to rove the city streets on Friday and Saturday nights.

Nelson Community Patrol member Paul Edwards said the team was hoping to recruit some ‘‘fresh blood’’, especially young people who wanted to be involved in their community.

He wanted to make it clear that the patrol were not the ‘‘fun police’’.

‘‘It’s ordinary people helping ordinary people, that’s what it is all about.’’

The volunteer position involved members signing up for one night a month, either a Friday or Saturday night in central Nelson. The area they covered extended from Atawhai out to Saxton Field.

A shift involved two people in the community patrol car and another based at the district command centre at the Nelson Police station looking at the CCTV footage for the police.

They were briefed on what was happening and what to look out for on any given night.

During his time with the patrol, Edwards said memorable experience­s included extinguish­ing a fire in a public toilet and he had also helped an elderly woman after an intruder had broken into her house.

‘‘You get a lot of satisfacti­on at the end of the night.’’

Kim Leader, 20, said she was interested in a career in the police force and joined the patrol in September.

‘‘It’s enjoyable and it’s nice to know that you are helping the community and it is a good insight into the police as well.’’

Freyja Woodward said she joined the patrol as she had two teenage children and she wanted to ensure the streets were safe for them.

The Nelson group was one of 150 community patrols around New Zealand and Edwards said it helped to ensure the city was a safer place.

Nelson police Senior Constable Peter Crins said the patrol acted as the ‘‘eyes and ears’’ for police.

He said the first community patrol in Nelson was called Roving Eyes and began in 1994, after the murder of Nelson man Kevin O’Loughlin.

It ran until 2001 and then became known as Nightwatch Nelson and in 2009 aligned with the national body, Community Patrols New Zealand (CPNZ).

Anyone interested in finding out more about the patrol can contact Paul through the Nelson Community Patrol Facebook page or by emailing nncp.recruits@gmail.com

 ?? PHOTO: MARTIN DE RUYTER/ FAIRFAX
NZ ?? Members of the Nelson Community Patrol Kim Leader, left, Freyja Woodward and Paul Edwards with police officer Peter Crins.
PHOTO: MARTIN DE RUYTER/ FAIRFAX NZ Members of the Nelson Community Patrol Kim Leader, left, Freyja Woodward and Paul Edwards with police officer Peter Crins.

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