Bay Harbour: October 27, 2021

Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Wednesday October 27 2021 Bay Harbour News
NEWS 5
Smallest team member suits up for duty
• By John Cosgrove
THE SMALLEST member of the
Christchurch South Community
Patrol, which covers Ferrymead,
has received his uniform.
“Ed has been a wonderful
addition to the team,” said patrol
team leader Ken Bye. “We were
looking for a different mascot
and Ed fitted right in with our
plans.”
The large teddy bear is often
seen on patrol with Ken and also
appears at special occasions.
“It’s all about having fun and
reaching out to the community,”
Bye said.
But fun is far from normal
when the patrol is on duty.
“Our role is to support the
police, the council and the community.
We are there to observe,
record and report,” he said.
The Christchurch South Community
Patrol is one of seven
located in the metropolitan area.
It is the largest, with more than
60 active members, covering an
area stretching from Halswell to
Ferrymead.
Bye said they usually have
two teams out, six days a week.
Each patrol varies, as does their
tasking, which can come from
the police, the city council or
themselves.
“We all know the roads we are
driving on, so we know when
something is odd or out of place.
Bye said those little, out-ofthe-ordinary
things were often
what the patrol reported into the
police or the council.
“It could be rubbish or graffiti
– we use the snap app to inform
the council about any we see – or
it could be a tasking from the
police to keep an eye out for this
or that, to watch a particular intersection
or observe any activity
in a specific area.
“But we are not police.
Although we often have police
recruits accompanying us, it
gives them valuable comms
experience working the radios
and phones when reporting
incidents,” Bye said.
Some of those incidents can
be bizarre or dangerous, like an
individual doing push-ups in
the middle of a busy intersection
then fighting the traffic signs,
or an intoxicated man smoking
while leaning up against a
petrol pump.
ALERT: Ed, mascot of
the Christchurch South
Community Patrol, dresses
for the job.
PHOTO: JOHN COSGROVE
Bye, a retired school teacher,
said he is rostered on patrol duty
for 12 hours a month.
“We are all volunteers, some
retirees, some young people and
others with time on their hands,
but we all want to serve our
communities.”
He said the police paid for
their fuel costs, but the rest they
had to fundraise themselves.
“And that’s where Ed comes
in, to make a connection with
the public at events to help us
fundraise and promote the
service,” Bye said.
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