"We might get out to have one coffee and then perhaps go to a lineup at the police station."
The lineup is the shift-change briefing at the Hastings police station, where Hastings community patrollers are also present.
To stay safe the golden rule for community patrollers is to never get out of the car, but Hastings community patroller Christine Batt said first aid was an exception to the rule.
"We have actually come across bodies on the road, usually drunken males who have just fallen down," she said.
"You literally have to check them to make sure they're breathing - you have to do first aid."
She said she felt very safe while on patrol because the one time her car was attacked it was the quick police response that shocked her the most.
"I've never seen police work so fast, from having no police around us, it was just a matter of seconds.
"There must have been about five or six police taking this guy away.
"It was really quite amazing. I think that shocked me more than any because I didn't think they worked that fast, but they did."
She said patrols were usually uneventful and she was reassured by that one violent encounter.
"I'm in the car, I've got good locks, I've got a police radio, and if we put out a call I know damn sure the police will be there pronto.
"So if it can be a bit nerve-wracking, but no, quite safe."
Havelock North community patroller Deon Jordaan said safety was "paramount".
"We organise and operate ourselves locally and patrol where police would like us to patrol and basically, we are the extra eyes and ears for the police.
"We are not police and people need to realise we restrain ourselves if we do see unsavoury behaviour.
"We do call it in. Rule number one is stay in the car."
While Hastings has three community patrol groups each working out of one car - Hastings central, Flaxmere and Havelock North - Napier has just one community patrol group.
But it is the biggest community patrol group in the country, covering the Napier Police district which extends well into rural Hastings, Napier community patroller Ian Wilton said.
"We currently have 178 members and we run six vehicles, one of which is [for] a dedicated rural area."
"We can operate 24/7 depending on the volunteers - when they choose to go out.
"We drive around, we also do some foot patrols during the summer season or particularly when there are many tourists in town.
"The cruise ships, when we had them here, we used to have what we called ambassadors out on the street doing foot patrols.
"They also called on the local stores, the local shops, the retailers and just had a word with them - reassure them we're out there, particularly during the school holiday periods when the shoplifting is rife."
All patrol groups said it was a rewarding way to contribute to the community by making a significant difference in a team.
Goodacre said it was a good way to make new friends.
"Believe you me, when you spend four hours in the car with somebody, you do get to know them extremely well and a lot of friendships are built up through that trust mainly."
Sycamore said more volunteers for community patrol were needed.
"I encourage people, if they are interested in becoming a community patrol, that they get in touch with the organisation and find out a bit more about it."
"It really is a great help for us, they get tasked by us to look at parts of town where we might be having some issues."
Goodacre said moments of excitement weren't the norm, which was fine by her because "a quiet shift is a good shift".
All community patrol groups are responsible for their own funding, with councils being the main contributors.
All groups are associated with
Community Patrols of New Zealand
.
