South Dunedin residents should not necessarily be worried if a policeman comes knocking on their door next week.
It could be someone from Dunedin's first neighbourhood policing team (NPT).
The new team of five constables led by a sergeant will be based at the Dunedin South police station in Macandrew Rd and from next week will work specifically with the South Dunedin community, possibly for up to five years.
The South Dunedin NPT, one of 32 such teams around the country, will work with residents living in an area roughly bordered by Andersons Bay Rd, Bay View Rd, Surrey St and Hillside Rd.
Team leader Sergeant Trevor Thomson said from the middle of next week the team would be spending at least three weeks getting to know its patch and completing an initial community survey to determine priorities for action.
It would then work with the community, including local agencies, service providers and local authorities, to develop a long-term plan for resolving the issues identified.
Police statistics showed the most common types of offending in South Dunedin were dishonesty, property damage, traffic and family violence, but the team was keen to talk to locals to find out what they saw as the problems, Sgt Thomson said.
Getting out and chatting to people was the best way to get a feel for what they saw as the issues and to build relationships, he said.
The NPT will complement and work alongside the proactive policing teams (PPT) established in Dunedin last year.
While NPTs are based on the concept of working closely with people living in a particular geographic area to identify and solve problems for the long-term, PPTs have a mobile, problem-solving approach across a wider policing area.
The NPT members had received specialised training for their new role, Sgt Thomson said.
NPTs are based in locations determined by criteria based on demographics and socio-economic status.
A team can work in a neighbourhood for up to five years, working alongside government agencies and other organisations to solve problems and prevent crime.
The only other NPT being established in the Southern police district is based in South Invercargill.
