It's not every day a police officer visits school, but at Auckland's Whangaparāoa College, it's become the norm.
Youth aid officers are there most weekdays during break times, and before and after school.
Some of the students are still getting used to it.
"It's just kind of weird because we don't normally have police at school," one pupil told 1News.
"The police being here, like lots of people feel more safe as well," another said.
The patrols started this school term amid fears local youth crime was on the rise.
"We were very concerned as a community around violence at the local bus stations," Whangaparāoa College principal Steve McCracken said. "Thefts, the concept of ram-raiding, notoriety around social media".
He said some of the offenders are students of the school and the regular police walkabouts have already made a difference.
"That has meant a reduction in the number of stand-downs and serious incidences that have occurred within our school and, from what I understand, within the community as well."
In a statement, police said school patrols "are not new to New Zealand", and that they are "common practice in the smaller communities".
Jon Williams is the youth aid sergeant behind the patrols at Whangaparāoa College.
He's been in talks with nearby Orewa College about an increased police presence there from next term.
"I'd much rather my staff are in here with the school, interacting with the kids, who we work with, than to be sitting in an office waiting for a file to come to them when a kid's done something wrong."
Orewa College principal Greg Pierce backs the idea and would like to see police patrols at more schools.
"I think it would be quite positive if police were seen in schools regularly on a weekly or fortnightly basis having a wander round."
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