Patrol gets half of funding requested

THE Alexandra Rural Community Patrol has received less funding than requested from the Vincent Community Board (VCB), as opinions were mixed around the board table.

The patrol plans to set up a car patrol to help the police as extra eyes and ears on Friday and Saturday nights in the Alexandra, Clyde, Roxburgh and Maniototo areas as soon as possible and requested $2000 from the board’s general grants fund.

However, the board granted only $1000 at its meeting last week.

The board said the grant was subject to conditions: it did not indicate any future funding would be provided; the board would like to see the money spent in its delegated boundary; and the patrol must report back to the board at the end of the funding cycle on how the money was spent and what impact its services had.

Board members Victoria Bonham and James Armstrong voted against the motion.

Ms Bonham said she questioned whether it met a community need, as crime was low, and Mr Armstrong said ratepayers in his hometown of Becks would see no benefit.

Acting chairman Barrie Wills and VCB members Brian Fitzgerald, Russell Garbutt and Claire Goudie voted for the motion.

Sharleen StirlingLindsay Malcolm Topliss were absent.

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Dr Wills said ‘‘we need to give them a chance’’.

Russell Garbutt said the funding needed to be confined within the area.

‘‘If we understood that the operation was only going to be within Vincent and confined to that, it might be OK to give them a certain amount of money.’’

The patrol received $18,000 from the Central Lakes Trust’s June funding round to help buy a vehicle.

Patrol chairwoman Wendy Rameka, who did not attend the meeting, said after the meeting she had not heard the funding decision and would not be in a position to comment until this week.