COPS – citizens on patrol

By lending a hand, the Pukekohe Community Patrol extends the long arm of the law locally. However, a new set of wheels is needed to ensure this driven team stays on the move while protecting and serving.

The patrol’s current vehicle has been an invaluable workhorse, but its days may be numbered, the group’s chair Peter Logan confirms.

“We only have one [patrol vehicle]. Although it’s still in really good condition, it’s getting up there in mileage, so we’ll need to replace it sooner rather than later.”

Replacing this vital piece of crime-fighting equipment is the aim, rather than obtaining a second vehicle.

“There’s a couple of patrols in south Auckland that have two cars. Our membership is growing very well, so if we could have two cars one day that would be brilliant, but at the moment we just need one.”

Their trusty Toyota plays an invaluable role.

“It looks very much like a police car, including sirens, so that we are very visible, and because we provide support during emergencies – such as car accidents and missing people, for example – we need to be mobile.”

Established as the Pukekohe Possums in 2009, the team is part of the Community Patrol NZ initiative, designed to free police up to concentrate on the toughest aspects of their work. Logan and more than 30 other volunteers work in close collaboration with police to enhance community safety and reduce crime.

“It was set up by the police to support them, to  be their eyes and ears. We don’t just report crime, we deter it as well,” Logan explains. “We work closely with them and they support us as well.”

The Pukekohe Patrol used to cover a wider area, including Waiuku and Tuakau. Although both of these towns now have squads of their own, population growth in the Pukekohe area has meant Logan and his team have been kept on their toes.

Now retired, Logan’s training as a former nurse comes in handy, but members need not have such special skills to play their part.

Keeping tabs on criminals is no job for shrinking violets, then again the gung-ho and the downright silly won’t find their way into the ranks – common sense and safety take precedence.

“No one’s been really hurt, but there are risks. So, we keep a cool head, we won’t get out of the car unless we need to and we always know where our exits are [from any situation],” Logan says.

While police look after the town’s CCTV cameras, the Pukekohe Patrol also helps to man the monitors, and although mobility is key, sometimes a little shoe leather needs to be expended.

“We also have people who do [foot] patrols, but we don’t concentrate so much on the central business area during the day because the Pukekohe Business Association has the Good Guys for that and there are cameras in place. So, we’re mostly interested in the outer areas.”

These groups work together, but it takes a village (a town at least) to keep this Pukekohe posse on the move.

“The police don’t fund us. We’re a registered charity, so we rely on donations and fundraising, but we also have some really good sponsors, including the Business Association, Lions Club and a couple of businesses in town.”

Businesses, clubs and individuals have donated equipment, but a new vehicle will require a little more. Specifics of the patrol’s fundraising plans are under discussion, but any donations can help them help us – visit pukekohepatrol.nz for further information.