John Key gives own car to community volunteers

John Key. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Prime Minister John Key has donated one of his cars to a community volunteers about to start patrolling trouble spots northwest of Auckland.

"I had a car I no longer needed and they had a need for a car - an excellent solution all round," Mr Key said in the latest issue of the police magazine Ten One.

The Holden was given by Mr Key to the South Kaipara Community Trust which operates patrols.

The Holden VX Calais car, believed to be less than six years old, was worth about $15,000.

The trust would patrol the area three nights a week looking for trouble and reporting it to police for follow up, Sergeant Mike Colson of Helensville police said.

He said the community patrol would not get out of the car to sort out trouble.

"We give them guidelines as to what problems we are having in the town. They go round these trouble spots and have a look.

"It is just an eyes and ears thing."

Mr Colson said the South Kaipara programme followed similar highly successful programmes using community volunteers in Orewa and Kumeu, both just north of Auckland.

- NZPA