 |
Boost for crime patrols FIGHTING CRIME: From the left, chairman of Community Patrols New Zealand Robert Fowler, Police Minister Judith Collins, chairman of the Manukau District Crime Watch Patrols Trust Dick Marshall. Times photo Marianne Kelly. By MARIANNE KELLY for Howick and Botany Times Wednesday, 04 March 2009
Close to 200 patrollers, along with support volunteers and representatives from community organisations, joined Police Minister Judith Collins and Manukau City Council Mayor Len Brown at a meeting in Botany. As well as receiving tributes from the politicians and the police, they were given details of the plan by the trust’s chairman Dick Marshall. Founding members of the trust are Crime Watch Patrols from Botany, Howick, Flat Bush, Manurewa and Paptoetoe. Other patrols attending the meeting were the Pohutukawa Coast, Papakura, Pukeohe and Mangere Bridge. Safety was invariably on top of the list when the council surveyed citizens, Mr Brown said. “They want to live in a safe street and have a straight-up life,” he said. “The Crime Watch patrols make a huge contribution to the network. The community board members and councillors are here tonight to say thank-you.” The evening was not just a meeting of the patrols, said Inspector Jason Hewett, who represented Superintendant Mike Bush, district commander of Counties Manukau Police: “It’s a celebration of community spirit, partnership and pride.” The police, he said, would help to improve the patrols’ participation, by providing intelligence: “You are our eyes and ears, an essential part of the police community.” The more proactive and involved residents were in their communities, the healthier and safer the communities would be, Ms Collins said. “One of the great things about the Kiwi character is the willingness to roll up our sleeves and get stuck in when there is a job to be done. “Community policing works because the people who live in communities have an interest in making those communities better places. “You will continue to have my full support. I feel better knowing that you are out there.” Mr Marshall outlined a four-pronged plan which the trust will discuss at its meeting on Wednesday. “We need to build patrols throughout the city that service the whole community and not be frightened to do three shifts a day, seven days a week,” he said. “We must look at Manukau city as a whole.” A priority is to sustain current patrols. Twenty people were trained in the past 12 months to train patrol members. Presently the organisation is concentrating on bringing new patrol groups together and increasing the capacity and capability of existing patrols, which have lifespans ranging from three to 18 years. Introducing more foot patrols is part of the plan. A co-ordinator was appointed last month for a foot patrol at Botany. Getting more patrol people out of cars and on foot gave the opportunity for the groups to work in partnership with retailers, shopping centre managements, the police and security firms, Mr Marshall said. Foot patrollers could intervene and be involved with education for potential victims of bag snatchers, car thefts or ATM attacks. “We have to think of better ways to support the patrol teams.” The organisation needs more volunteers dedicated to training patrollers, along with support duties such as patrol co-ordination, vehicle maintenance, patrol planning, accounts administration and raising funds from sponsorship. Source: http://www.times.co.nz/cms/news/2009/03/boost_for_crime_patrols.php |
