The group has also been affiliated with Community Patrols New Zealand, taking the number of patrols in the district to three.
It comes as concerns over crime, such as the ram-raid at Faringdon Convenience Store earlier this month, continue to increase.
Rolleston Community Patrol chair Karen Evans said people can check out the new vehicle – a $50,000 hybrid the group fundraised to buy – at an open day on Saturday.
She said the group has been aligned with the Lincoln-based Selwyn Community Patrol, which previously covered Rolleston.
“We have a great working relationship with their committee and will continue to work together with them to keep Rolleston, and by proxy the greater Selwyn area, safer,” Evans said.
Rolleston’s population has swelled to more than 20,000 since the Selwyn patrol was established about a decade ago, creating the need for its own dedicated patrol. Evans said community patrols help to prevent residents from becoming victims of crime.
She said the Faringdon ram-raid, which comes after the Lincoln Dairy was targeted in August and the Prebbleton Dairy in May, showed crime is an issue in the district.
“Rolleston has also suffered substantially from car burglaries and vandalism. These are the main areas of crime we’ve noticed,” Evans said.
“We look forward to working with our community, Community Patrols NZ and police to create an effective community patrol to keep Rolleston and Selwyn the wonderful place that it is.”
Selwyn Community Patrol media spokesperson Denise Carrick said it was a “win, win” to have the new patrol on board.
“In the end, it means there are more patrol hours on the road for all the communities,” Carrick said.
The patrol is in need of more volunteers as it aims to increase its shifts from one or two every 24-hours to two or three.
The shifts would be from 7-11pm, midnight onwards, and during the morning or afternoon.
- The Rolleston Community Patrol vehicle will be revealed to the public at an open day on Saturday from 10am-noon at the Rolleston Community Centre front car park on Rolleston Drive.
- For more information or to join the Selwyn Community Patrol, email selwyncommunitypatrol.org.nz or phone 022 042 9420.
