It’s Volunteer Awareness Week and an ideal time to launch Christchurch’s newly formed Christchurch City Parks Community Patrol.
The extra set of eyes and ears for police will patrol within the Four Avenues area, including outside the perimeter of the city’s Red Zone.
Inspector Derek Erasmus, Christchurch Police Centra Area Commander, said the City Parks patrol complements the work undertaken by the existing City-Sumner patrol.
“Volunteers come from all walks of life and do a wonderful job in working with police, providing an extra presence in our city’s parks, recreation areas and streets,” he said.
The City Parks patrol has been supplied with a car by City Care and patrol members, like their City-Sumner counterparts, are able to call the Police Southern Communications Centre should they see something suspicious which requires a police response.
Community Constable Stef Harris said the patrols are keen to recruit more volunteers. “Now more than ever is a good way for anyone to help our city.”
Applicants need a full drivers licence and will need to be security checked by police. The typical commitment is a four hour shift once or twice a month.
Constable Harris said training is given and new members are paired up with more experienced patrol volunteers for an initial induction period.
To find out more about joining the community patrols, please contact Constable Stef Harris at Christchurch Police.
ENDS
Photo:
(L-R): Inspector Derek Erasmus, Constable Stef Harris, Allan Bain of the City-Sumner Community Patrols and John Bird, from the City Parks Community Patrol with the new volunteer patrol vehicle.
