Volunteers on the beat but more are needed

Whangarei Blue Club volunteer Nis Juergensen. Photo / John Stone

Helping to chase drug dealers out of Whangarei has been a highlight for Nis Juergensen.

Mr Juergensen is part of the Blue Club, a volunteer group that works alongside the police and the Whangarei District Council, patrolling carparks around the district and monitoring the CCTV cameras dotted around the city. But the club is in need of more volunteers to help keep the city's streets safe.

Mr Juergensen first heard about the Blue Club in 2010 when he met a police officer at the Marist Club.

"We were talking about it and I was free at the time, so I started," he said.

While monitoring the cameras he has witnessed much and has helped police pinpoint a group of suspected drug dealers, and direct officers to their location.

He said that after police approached the group several times, they eventually left town.

While monitoring the cameras he said he is looking for suspicious activity or behaviour out of the ordinary, as well as monitoring the council bylaws.

He said when he first started there were quite a few people cycling and skating through the Cameron St Mall, but after a combined effort between CCTV monitoring and staff on the ground, there is now almost none.

"The youth all learned," he said.

Blue Club spokesman Ross Wagner said there were 13 volunteers patrolling the carparks on weekends, and five watching the cameras, but he was looking to double that.

Mr Wagner said while they had been monitoring the carparks near tourist spots, such as Abbey caves, Whangarei falls, and Mt Parihaka, they had seen a major reduction in thefts.

"When we're manning the carpark the theft is nil," he said. "And we've caught numerous offences on camera."

He said all volunteers would go through a police check, and would have to commit to about four hours a week. But he said there was also an opportunity for people to show tourists the best of the region.

"If tourist's cars aren't broken into, they will be more likely to come back."

People interested in volunteering for the Blue Club can contact Ross Wagner on 027 478 4830.