Waverley Community Patrol group gets better vehicle with help from a grant

Waverley Constable Darren Barrow backs up two Waverley Community Patrol volunteers, Pauline Costello and Doug Rosewarne. Photo / Bevan Conley

From Pakaraka Rd to Whenuakura Pa - the new Waverley Community Patrol car can take on rural roads and support the town's only police officer, Constable Darren Barrow.

The community patrol group started in 2009. It has had two cars, secretary and funding co-ordinator Pauline Costello said, a Toyota Corolla and a Toyota Spacio. Last month it took ownership of a "brand spanking new" Suzuki Vitara.

"We wanted an all-wheel-drive vehicle, because we also do a lot of rural roads."

The team had saved $12,000 toward a new vehicle, but nearly half the $35,000 cost was a grant from the TSB Community Trust. It is the first year in which Waverley people can apply to the Taranaki-based trust rather than the Whanganui Community Foundation.

The new car has been signwritten, connects to police radio and has amber flashing lights across its roof with sidelights attached to help the volunteers see in the dark.

"It's absolutely fantastic to see it sitting there behind the police station," Costello said.

"It's worth all the sleepless nights making sure the paperwork was done."

She wanted to thank the patrol's sponsor, the constable and the businesses that found the car, painted it and installed its electrics.

Waverley's community patrol is a team of 10 volunteers. They patrol two nights a week, for three to four hours at a time, working in pairs.

The team gets information from police; for example, about cars police are looking for.

Costello and patrol co-ordinator Doug Rosewarne were out on Friday night and did 109km in the Vitara.

The patrol deals with wandering stock a lot, and it keeps an eye on events where there is alcohol. Capturing a calf on SH3, with trucks pounding up the Whenuakura hill, would be one kind of tense moment. Others might involve people, but the patrol doesn't get up close.

"We sort of just park," Costello said. "We sit in a street where there's things going on. We don't hassle the people having parties. They're entitled to do that. If they come out onto the road and start fighting we let the police deal with it."