The large teddy bear, named Ed, is often seen on patrol with team leader Ken Bye - and appears at special occasions.
"We were looking for a different mascot and Ed fitted right in with our plans.
"It’s all about having fun and reaching out to the community."
But fun is far from normal when the patrol is on duty.
"Our role is to support the police, the council and the community. We are there to observe, record and report," he said.
The Christchurch South Community Patrol is one of seven located in the city.
It is the largest, with more than 60 active members, covering an area stretching from Halswell to Ferrymead.
Bye said they usually have two teams out, six days a week. Each patrol varies, as do their tasks, which can come from the police, the city council or themselves.
"We all know the roads we are driving on, so we know when something is odd or out of place."
Bye said those little, out-of-the-ordinary things were often what the patrol reported into the police or city council.
"It could be rubbish or graffiti - we use the snap app to inform the council about any we see - or it could be a tasking from the police to keep an eye out for this or that, to watch a particular intersection or observe any activity in a specific area.
"But we are not police. Although we often have police recruits accompanying us, it gives them valuable comms experience working the radios and phones when reporting incidents,” Bye said.
Some of those incidents can be bizarre or dangerous, like an individual doing push-ups in the middle of a busy intersection then fighting the traffic signs, or an intoxicated man smoking while leaning up against a petrol pump.
Bye, a retired school teacher, said he is rostered on patrol duty for 12 hours a month.
"We are all volunteers, some retirees, some young people and others with time on their hands, but we all want to serve our communities.”
He said the police paid for their fuel costs, but the rest they had to fundraise themselves.
"And that’s where Ed comes in, to make a connection with the public at events to help us fundraise and promote the service,” Bye said.
