The eyes and ears for the police – that patrol Katikati regularly – are asking the community and local businesses to assist them with funding to keep their service out of the red.

Katikati Community Patrol – known in town as the Night Owls – runs three regular night patrols and spontaneous day patrols to keep the community safe.

After volunteer numbers dipped to 13 a few months ago, the group is now back to a healthy team of 20 but running costs mean their bank account needs more support.

Katikati Community Patrol chairman Ross Sutherland said the costs of the patrol were mainly running of the patrol vehicle, uniforms, cellphone and internet packages and personnel training. Vehicle maintenance, tyres and registration all added up quickly, he said.

To mitigate rising fuel costs the group had shortened the length of its patrols, Sutherland said. “We need about $5000 to $5500 per year to run the patrol,” he said.

Katikati Community Patrol chairman Ross Sutherland and volunteer Noeline Shaw ask the community and local businesses to back their work. Photo / Merle Cave

Katikati Community Patrol volunteer Noeline Shaw said funding got “pretty low” recently. “Ross had since done great job of getting some funds in but we now want to focus on fundraising ahead of time,” she said. “We want to keep ahead of our costs so we don’t have to do fundraising all the time,” Sutherland said.

The patrols are run with two volunteers per shift – their key task was to report signs of suspicious activity, assist in accident and crime scenes, watch out for stolen vehicles and other property reported as stolen.

Sutherland said the patrol kept an eye on rural land with property stolen from the growers of kiwifruit and avocado orchards and commercial properties around Katikati “plus residential home owners that make up our community”.

All information is reported directly to the NZ Police. “The patrol car is fitted out with a police radio therefore we can report directly to Police Communications as needed,” Sutherland said. “We also have an AED [Automated External Defibrillator] on-board too.”

The patrol travels about 70km per shift, with a coverage area from Tanners Point through to Morton Rd, and all adjacent roads off SH2. This included Ongare Point and Kauri Point villages, Fairview Estate and the Beach Road Boat Ramp, Sutherland said.

The patrol is affiliated with Community Patrols New Zealand (CPNZ) but community patrols are organised and operated by their local community, Sutherland said, and raise their operating expenses through local sponsorship and donations.

Sutherland said a few local businesses had been generous. “We really appreciate your support and hope to continue to provide you with top quality service for future years.

“[However] If every business approached was able to give a monthly donation, something that is affordable for your business by way of automatic payment into our account for 12 months it would be of immense help and very much appreciated.”

Being a registered charity, Katikati Community Patrol can provide an invoice at the end of the financial year for donations. To support Katikati Community Patrol, phone Ross Sutherland on 021 301 339 or email: katikati@cpnz.org.nz