North Hamilton Community Patrol

We do mobile patrols throughout our area, to act as "eyes and ears" for our community. We identify and report situations that may require attention by Police or other agencies. If offending is identified we contact the Police for their follow-up. Patrol members are primarily observers and are not expected to intervene directly or confront offenders, as this is the role of the Police. Patrols aim to identify and report suspicious behaviour before a crime is actually committed (e.g. people or vehicles acting suspiciously). We occasionally locate and report stolen vehicles to the Police to avoid further damage, or identify and report insecure premises to minimise opportunistic crimes. We also refer other community safety issues such as street lights out, missing manhole covers etc, to the City Council for their follow-up. We are not there to replace the Police or other agencies, but simply to provide an extra set of “eyes and ears”, and report any information of interest to create a safer community.

If you are unable to assist as a patroller, we welcome assistance with fund-raising or through encouraging others to join up. Sponsorships from businesses or donations from individuals are very welcome. Please contact us via our contact form or you can post donations to North Hamilton Community Patrol, P.O. Box 21-035, Flagstaff, HAMILTON 3241.

Patrol members are rostered in pairs to patrol our area, generally at night, although we do run some day patrols. Any suspicious activities are discreetly monitored. Patrolling includes mobile observations, and static observations at particular areas or "hot spots" of interest to the Police. If necessary we contact the Police by cellphone or radio so they can investigate further or take appropriate enforcement action. We also advise other agencies or property owners of less significant issues, such as insecure premises, blocked stormwater drains, or street lights out. Patrol members currently use private vehicles but receive a contribution towards running costs.

North Hamilton Community Patrol operates in the North and East areas of the city. Other similar patrol groups cover the remainder of the city. Our area includes Te Rapa, Pukete, St Andrews, Flagstaff, Rototuna, Harrowfield, Queenwood, Chedworth, Chartwell, Fairfield, and Fairview Downs.

Patrol members are rostered for specific nights (or days) to suit their own availability. Members are normally expected to be available for at least one patrol per month, but most offer themselves for additional nights if they have time available. Start times of patrols are agreed between the individuals rostered on each patrol. Patrols generally run for about 4 hours, starting mid-evening and finishing at a time agreed between themselves.

Yes. Please contact us to discuss this further.

The main requirement is that each person be vetted by the Police to ensure that the community can have total confidence in the integrity of everyone involved. This is a simple process, which involves completing a Police vetting form for Police checks, and an application form. Members are also required to sign a code of conduct which ensures that all of our operations are completely above board. The Police vetting form and the Application Form are available for download from this site. If you have any questions about the application process, please use our Contact page.

Once accepted, experienced patrol members provide you with initial and ongoing training over a three month probationary period. After initial training, periodic group training sessions are also held for all members, with presentations by experienced patrol members, members of the NZ Police, or other agencies. Our national organisation Community Patrols of NZ (CPNZ) also runs a "National Training Seminar" each year.