A close eye on community

Chances are, if you live in a big town or have attended a community event in New Zealand you will have come across a volunteer for the Community Patrols of New Zealand (CPNZ). Easy to spot in their polo shorts, high-vis jackets and lanyards, CPNZ volunteers are partners with the New Zealand Police and the National Emergency Management Agency, as well as others.

At Summerset at Heritage Park in Ellerslie, a group of residents are strengthening the fabric of their wider community through the CPNZ. They believe in staying connected, visible and involved. To them it’s less about policing and more about contribution; a visible reminder that strong communities are actively maintained by those within them.

Resident Peter Grainger has been volunteering for the CPNZ for a decade. “When I retired, I wanted to do something socially useful, so volunteered in my local patrol in Onehunga. Community Patrolling is an ideal role for active retired people with time on their hands. When I moved to Summerset, I transferred my membership to a closer patrol. Now I am Patrol Coordinator for the Mount Wellington Community Patrol.”

Now that patrol – one of 40 within Auckland – has nine Summerset at Heritage Park resident volunteers. Ian Moses used to volunteer with Peter at the Onehunga Patrol and transferred his membership across. Lyn Luxton had her curiosity piqued when she saw the CPNZ patrol car. Don Symonds joined for a ride-along and signed up.

Patrol volunteers are trained to be the ‘extra eyes and ears’ of the police, looking out for their neighbourhoods and providing reassurance, simply by their presence, to communities. Patrollers don’t intervene. “You preserve, observe and report,” says Bob Rose.

“I like the idea of benefiting the local area in this way,” Lyn says. “Funnily enough I had wanted to be a police officer when I was younger, but I failed the height restriction!”

While many volunteers are retirees, the group has younger recruits. “They tend to do the evening shift, as they work, whereas we do they daytime shifts,” says Lyn. Background checks are required and new recruits can ride along before committing. Each shift is around 2–3 hours, and Peter handles the roster. Volunteers must patrol in pairs, one driving and the other observing, and each patrol has a geographical area to cover. “We visit shopping precincts, parks, dairies and the Panmure Basin. We probably cover around 50 streets a shift,” says Don Symonds.

CPNZ volunteers must log on and off with the Police Communications team at the start and end of each shift. “We do not go beyond a set geographical boundary. So, you can’t take the car to go shopping!” laughs Don. Much of the group’s work is low-key but effective. For instance, reporting graffiti has led to faster clean-up times and noticeably tidier public spaces. The team praise the Auckland Council graffiti contractor. “They are so quick and responsive,” says Lyn. “We share the street location of graffiti, and they are painted over so fast.” The volunteers are proud of the CPNZ’s role in keeping Auckland attractive and enjoy seeing areas benefiting from consistent care and attention.

As well as keeping an eye out for mischief, the volunteers wear other hats when they patrol, and have also been called on to act as marshals for community events such as ANZAC parades. “We have been asked to keep a look out for lost children, and we have been flagged down by Hato Hone St John to offer first aid to someone in a park,” says Lyn. Most of the Summerset volunteers are trained first aiders, having taken a Hato Hone St Johns first aid course. Along with other supplies such as road cones for accidents, the team have a first aid kit and a defibrillator in the car, which the volunteers have been trained to use.

Running a patrol isn’t without its expenses. Although a grant from the Lion Foundation secured the patrol a brand-new, sign-written car, insurance, fuel, uniforms, equipment and courses all add up. Funding comes from a mix of grants, sponsorship (including a fuel card from the local petrol station) and grassroots fundraising. The volunteers run a ‘Safer Plates’ campaign in their local Bunnings carpark where they install tamper-resistant screws on number plates to combat theft, a surprisingly common issue. “Licence plate theft is a common way to steal petrol, and victims of theft have a lot of administration to deal with, as well as pay for new licence plates,” says Peter. “It is cheaper and easier to pay $5 for tamper-proof plates. Bunnings kindly donated four battery drills.” Funds raised go straight back into running the patrol.

Despite this, the group remains volunteer driven. And for the Summerset at Heritage Park residents, it has created and strengthened village friendships. “It’s about the camaraderie, ” says Peter. “And the satisfaction of doing something worthwhile.”

To learn more about Community Patrols New Zealand visit: https://cpnz.org.nz/

This is an article from the Winter 2026 edition of Summerset Scene magazine

Click here to read the full issue