The recent signing of a refreshed MOU between Police and Neighbourhood Support New Zealand (NSNZ) marks a significant step forward in the partnership between the organisations.
“This is such an important relationship for Police,” says Superintendent Eric Tibbott, National Manager Prevention
“Police needs organisations like Neighbourhood Support who step up alongside us to ensure our communities are safe and feel safe.
“The importance of the work that Neighbourhood Support does is reflected in the work programme of the National Prevention Centre. There are a number of projects in the pipeline to enhance our relationship with Neighbourhood Support.
“One of those is building better information-sharing capacity. When Neighbourhood Support are out in the field connecting with communities, what information can we as Police pass to better enable you to support the community?”
Organisations such as NSNZ and Community Patrols NZ are the ‘eyes and ears’ of communities for Police and provide invaluable information which is crucial to reducing crime and victimisation.
Newly elected NSNZ chairperson Louise Grevel says the signing of this MOU has substantial value for both organisations.
“Building on current relationship strengths, this MOU aligns with our strategic direction, enhancing communication and networking between Police and neighbourhood support area coordinators,” says Louise.
“We look forward to continued collaboration with Police at both national and grassroots levels, striving to create safer connected communities for all.”
The MOU has three desired outcomes:
- Enhance community safety and community capability to prevent crime and victimisation
- Strengthen community preparedness to deal with emergencies and natural disasters
- Enhance consistency and quality of Neighbourhood Support service delivery through New Zealand to meet the Police purpose of ‘Be Safe, Feel Safe’.
“Police continuing to work closely with other agencies and our communities enables us to deliver the best service we can to keep people safe,” says Eric.