Nosey, observant and empathetic – that's all it takes to be an ideal candidate for your local community patrol.
And in Wainuiomata, where Tracey Mansfield has been volunteering for 14 years, there are gaps to be filled.
“Some of our guys are doing extra shifts… and it would be nice to lighten the load. It also means we can do a few more day patrols. People like to see us out in the community watching out for them.”
You can tell Mansfield is passionate as she hops into the patrol car, and begins driving to the normal hotspots in Wainuiomata – a retirement village, the Garden of Remembrance, construction sites and supermarkets. Between her and her patrol partner Richard, they don’t miss much.
Despite catching burglars and drunk drivers, Mansfield said her highlight is working with young people.
“We’ve taken home youth that have been out and about and are unhappy or something has gone wrong at home. I feel like having someone there to talk to has made a difference,” she said.
This work, being the “eyes and ears” of the police, is all done by unpaid volunteers. Support comes through funding from the council for new equipment and sponsorship. But, it’s ultimately people that make the wheels spin and across the wider Hutt Valley, Tracey said there’s not enough.
“All of them need more patrollers, after many left post-Covid. Other patrols with higher numbers, dropped suddenly.”
To join, a driver's licence and first aid certificate is beneficial, but not necessary.
“A good community patroller would effectively be quite nosey – wouldn’t miss much. Observation is one of the keys, especially at night time. But mostly, to have empathy and to want to interact.”
Richard Nixon joined the Wainuiomata team recently. He says he enjoys “flying the flag” for the community patrol and keeping an eye on the community, especially during the night.
Mansfield is hoping to recruit some younger watchful eyes too.
“Without sounding ageist, it would be great to have a few people in their 20s that the kids would gravitate towards or the kids would talk to. We seem to have a lot of middle-aged, older people – which is great because they have the time – but it would be good to have half a dozen younger ones on board," she said.
If you want to sign up, you can head to cpnz.org.nz
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