Paeroa Community Patrol are seeking more volunteers to accommodate its ageing membership. The organisation has helped keep the peace in the town by being extra eyes for the Police since 1991.
Ray Haysom, who has been a member alongside his wife, Hilary, since the inception, said the majority of the work undertaken by the organisation involved patrolling streets and alleyways between the Puke Bridge and Karangahake in a Suzuki Swift.
“We do night patrols usually on Friday or Saturday night, you can pick your own time, you could do 7pm to 9pm or 9pm to 10pm or midnight to 2am,” he said. “All you need [to become a member] is a police clearance and get a little bit of paperwork done. We will support you all the way if you want to join our little society… the more the merrier and it’s a great organisation to be in.”
Ray said the role also involved volunteers writing a report of what they had witnessed at the end of their shift. These then get documented at Paeroa Police Station.
If another ten volunteers joined the patrol’s current seven, it would allow the organisation to have a more comfortable roster, he said.
“They will be going out maybe once a month… or every six weeks depending on how many people we actually get,” he said.
Incoming member Lyn McHugh, who will be in charge of promoting the patrol in the hopes of recruiting more volunteers, said if more could join, it would help them hold regular training sessions. They are also open to receiving community donations to go towards vehicle operating costs – equating to around $1000 each year.
“Normally we use [funds] from Hauraki District Council, some people [donate], but we actually have gone outside Countdown and have done our own things and I’ve done that every year,” Hilary Haysom said.
DETAILS: To join the Paeroa Community Patrol, contact Andy Richards 07 862 6453. Interested volunteers are also welcome to attend the patrol’s AGM on May 24 at the St John Paeroa Ambulance Station, 7pm.
