SummerSafe launched for 2011/2012

Whangarei District’s highly successful SummerSafe carparks programme has kicked off again with more than 50 volunteers monitoring the District’s most popular beach carparks at the weekends.

Last year there were no thefts from cars during patrols by the volunteers, who spent a combined 525 hours at least patrolling carparks between December and April.

The SummerSafe programme aims at preventing theft and crime and increasing the public’s awareness of ways to keep their property and themselves safe.

The parking areas will be patrolled during daylight on the weekends by volunteers from the Onerahi and Hatea Lions Clubs, Whangarei Community Patrol (CPNZ), Police Volunteers Blue Club, Whangarei Heads, Waipu and Ruakaka Surf Lifesaving Clubs, Tutukaka Coast Promotions and Tikipunga Pride.

The combined Police, Council and volunteer organisations project is funded by a grant from the Ministry of Justice.

Council’s Community Services Manager Owen Thomas said the enthusiasm and reliability of the volunteers was key to the success of the programme last year.

“They did such a good job that we have been able to expand the service from the eight patrolled carparks last year to 11 this year.”

Mr Thomas said visitors using the carparks will be greeted by ambassadors wearing clearly identifiable, high-visibility, ‘City Safe’ vests, and will be given a ‘Warrant of Safety’ checklist about vehicle safety and a complimentary car tidy-bag that also carries the SummerSafe Carparks vehicle safety message.

Last year’s carpark users included locals, domestic and international tourists. The feedback from them was very positive, with several of the visitors making donations to the respective groups as an expression of their thanks to the ambassadors for their community involvement.