Eyes and ears in the community

Residents of Richmond, Nelson, are helping take ownership of their neighbourhood.

In September last year, locals set up their own community patrol, after becoming frustrated by the constant nuisance offending, including vandalism, boy racers, graffiti and youths drinking alcohol in public reserves.

About 30 people (including the Tasman District mayor, who was one of the first to sign up) now work late-night weekend shifts patrolling streets, schools and public places.

Nelson Mail journalist, Josh Reich, went out on patrol in early January with new community patrollers Merle and Ron Craig.

"Twenty minutes into their first stint as Richmond community patrollers, Merle and Ron Craig proved their worth by discovering an unlocked window at Garin College," Josh reported.

"It may not seem a big deal, but had an opportunist thief entered the school, he or she could have taken a valuable projector worth thousands of dollars."

Not this time, however.

Using his new Police radio, Ron was able to request the Police Communications Centre to call the school's security firm. And, by the time their shift ended, around 3am, the couple had reported several incidents, including a potentially volatile gathering of boy racers on the edge of town.

Merle and Ron joined up as volunteers to 'give back to the community' they've lived in for more than 40 years.

Like other patrollers, they work Friday and Saturday night shifts every six weeks or so, driving around in a council-sponsored car, with torches and reflective jackets donated by Mitre 10, and a new Police radio.

The new patrol has already helped relieve pressure on police staff at the small Richmond station, and Constable Glenn Lloyd-Jones is full of praise.

"Nuisance offending has nose-dived since the patrol started," he says.

"Patrollers do a really good job as extra eyes and ears on the street, and free Police up for other work."