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Wednesday <strong>September</strong> <strong>12</strong> <strong>2018</strong><br />
News<br />
More community patrol<br />
volunteers wanted<br />
• By Matt Salmons<br />
MORE community patrols<br />
maybe seen in Lyttelton.<br />
But more volunteers are<br />
needed.<br />
Sumner to City<br />
Community Patrol<br />
chairman Allan Bain said<br />
the group managed one<br />
patrol most days, but he<br />
wanted two patrols, every<br />
day.<br />
“The more we are out<br />
there, the less crime will<br />
happen,” Mr Bain said.<br />
“We’re a deterrent.”<br />
Lyttelton Police Sergeant<br />
Franco Lovrich said the<br />
patrols were getting “a<br />
bit stretched” with their<br />
numbers.<br />
“They’re out there,<br />
reporting, keeping the<br />
community safe by notifying<br />
police of any suspicious<br />
behaviours.<br />
“They’re certainly a<br />
value to the community,”<br />
Sergeant Lovrich said.<br />
Mr Bain said most of his<br />
45 volunteers were retired<br />
and could only commit to<br />
four hours a month.<br />
“We’d really need to<br />
have some younger people<br />
and people willing to do<br />
more hours.<br />
CRIME-STOPPING: One of the Sumner to City<br />
Community Patrol vehicles. <br />
“Ideally we’d really need<br />
around 55 [people].”<br />
While the volunteer patrol<br />
had two vehicles, it had<br />
not yet had them patrolling<br />
simultaneously.<br />
“We would really like<br />
someone to do nights for<br />
us. Saturday nights can be<br />
almost impossible.”<br />
The group covered “a fair<br />
chunk of area” between<br />
Sumner, Lyttelton and<br />
Linwood and reported incidents<br />
of tagging, suspicious<br />
behaviour, property damage<br />
or littering to police.<br />
Mr Bain said the latest<br />
city council statistics<br />
showed the areas covered<br />
by the patrols had some of<br />
the “lowest levels of graffiti<br />
Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi<br />
in Christchurch.”<br />
As volunteers, maintenance<br />
on the group’s vehicles<br />
was funded through<br />
donations and fundraising<br />
efforts. Fuel was provided<br />
by police.<br />
Mr Bain said members<br />
normally did not leave the<br />
vehicle on patrol so only<br />
needed “good eyes and the<br />
ability to walk.”<br />
“We’re purely moving<br />
police signs. If you see a<br />
community patrol car, you<br />
probably don’t want to<br />
commit a crime right?<br />
“You’re doing something<br />
for the community, you’re<br />
helping the community.<br />
That’s the bottom line,” Mr<br />
Bain said.<br />
BAY HARBOUR<br />
PAGE 7
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