The Star: March 08, 2018

8 Thursday March 8 2018
Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
The Star
News
Community patrols launch police
HELPING: Pawan Lahotra joined the Hornby Community Patrol
in 2016, and now hopes to join the police.
PHOTO: MARTIN HUNTER
Migrants are being recruited to community patrols to help them settle
into New Zealand life and lead them into a career with the police.
Bridget Rutherford reports
BY DAY, Pawan Lahotra is a taxi
driver.
By night, he dons his highvisibility
vest and patrols the
streets of west Christchurch.
And soon, he hopes to join the
police.
Mr Lahotra, who is originally
from North India, is part of a
police programme which aims
to get migrants into community
patrols and eventually the police.
He joined the Hornby
Community Patrol in 2016
because he wanted to help
people.
“I joined the patrol and it really
motivated me to join the police.”
Mr Lahotra, 28, said he wants
to become a police ethnic liaison
officer to encourage people from
different ethnicities to join.
But before he moved to New
Zealand, Mr Lahotra said he
never imagined joining the
police.
“I probably wouldn’t because
of the image police have. I would
have rathered be in IT,” he
said. “In some countries people
don’t have a very good image of
police.”
Back in India, police were
“dishonest” and distrusted, he
said.
“People try to take the law into
their own hands.”
Mr Lahotra moved to New
Zealand in 2009 at 18, and
studied IT in Auckland. His now
wife Deepika joined him a couple
of months later.
He wanted to explore the
country and ended up in
Christchurch just before the
September 4, 2010, earthquake.
After working at City Care, he
swapped his maintenance job for
a taxi driving role.
He spends one night a
month patrolling areas such as
Hornby, Halswell, Broomfield,
Templeton, Rolleston and around
Christchurch Hospital, and
referring any incidents to police.
Meanwhile, he has been
working through his police
application.
He is currently going through
the SCOPE stage. If successful he
could go to police college.
Canterbury Community Patrol
co-ordinator Helen Todd, a
former police officer, is in charge
Lightweight WALKERS
FOLDABLE
LIGHT-WEIGHT FOLDING
WALKERS
• Weight from only 5.7kg
• Burgundy or Metallic Blue
• Adjustable height handles
• Indoor and outdoor models
• Maximum user weight 100kg
• Locking brakes on some models
• Basket for shopping or gardening
• Folds for storage or transportation
PHONE 354 5616
108 Sawyers Arms Rd, Papanui, Christchurch
10% Off for SUPERGOLD card holders
Conditions may apply
of recruiting migrants to patrols
and helping to get them into the
police. Mr Lahotra joined the
patrol before Ms Todd started her
job, but she has supported him
since then and helped prepare
him for his police application.
Ms Todd said migrants like Mr
Lahotra were perfect candidates
for the police.
She said one had graduated
from police college already, with
30 more “in the pipeline.”
The Christchurch programme
is based on one that started in
Auckland. It aims to break
down barriers and build trust
and confidence in the police.
The programme was launched
to break down barriers and build
trust and confidence.
Wellington then followed suit,
along with Christchurch.
“Police want to become more
diverse,” she said.
New Zealand European
people make up 69.4 per cent
of the police, while 14.8 per
cent are European, 11.4 per
cent are Maori, 5.7 per cent
are Pacific and 3.8 per cent are
Asian.
MASONRY SECONDS & DELETED LINES
SALE
PAVING / RETAINING / GREY BLOCK / BRICKS
Product can be picked up on the day, or delivery can be organised for an additional cost.
Sat 10 & Sun 11 March 9am-2pm / Firth, 7 Broughs Road, Harewood 03 359 4160
(No trade sales, eftpos payments only. All sales are final, no returns.)