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Chris Lawton, brother of Leigh chief fire officer Kevin Lawton, was the guest speaker at the Leigh meeting to discuss a new community patrol.
The recent arson at Big Omaha Wharf has lit a flame under the Leigh community.
A well-attended meeting in the township on July 25 has given the green light to the idea of a community patrol to serve the Leigh, Pakiri, Mathesons Bay and Whangateau area.
While it was acknowledged the Leigh area was not a crime hot spot, there were ongoing issues involving drug dealing, tagging, boat break-ins, property theft and the recent arson at the wharf.
There was also discussion about the role the group might play in a civil defence emergency and ensuring elderly residents living alone were not neglected.
Meeting convener and Leigh chief fire officer Kevin Lawton said the meeting identified potential volunteers and this group would meet soon to keep up the momentum.
“The next step is to pursue affiliation to Community Patrols NZ (CPNZ),” Kevin says. “Everyone who joins will have to undergo a police check, and training and fundraising will also be a priority.”
There are 170 community patrols around New Zealand, including one at Mangawhai and another based out of Snells Beach called Rodney North. Groups vary in size from five members to one of the largest in Napier, which has about 200 volunteers and runs patrols almost 24/7.
CPNZ Volunteer Trust Board chair Chris Lawton, who was a guest at the meeting, described the patrols’ role as extra “eyes and ears” for police, mainly through observation and their presence in the community.
Chris stressed the service was a partner to police, assisting across a broad range of scenarios, but mainly by observation.
The meeting was told that ideally, the patrol would need about 20 volunteers who were prepared to do a two-to-four-hour patrol once a month.
While some money was available for signage on the vehicle and uniforms, the patrol would need to rely on fundraising to equip an office and purchase a vehicle. Annual running costs were estimated at around $3000 to $5000.
If anyone would like to donate or would like more information, Kevin Lawton can be contacted on 021 422 651.
