A community patrol could be operating in Mosgiel within a few months after a flood of interest following a call for volunteers.
Mosgiel community constable Jacqui Ballam made a public appeal for volunteers to start a patrol in the town earlier this month after a series of meetings resulted in just six potential patrollers.
Since the appeal, 31 people had expressed interest in becoming a patroller and 16 had returned the paperwork and would proceed to the vetting stage of the process, she said yesterday.
"It's a great response."
A core group of at least 12 was required to establish a Mosgiel patrol group and a patrol, similar to those already running in North Dunedin and South Dunedin, would operate on busy crime nights.
Sixteen was a good number, but more were always welcome, Const Ballam said.
"The more people we get the more patrols we can do, or people have to do them less often."
Community Patrols New Zealand deputy chairman Tubby Hopkins, of South Dunedin, said some of the potential patrollers had already been training with the South Dunedin group.
The vetting process would take a few weeks and the patrol could be ready to start within a few months.
Mosgiel Taieri Community Board member Bill Feather said the board would discuss start-up funding for the scheme at next Wednesday's board meeting.
