Daily updates and alerts to crime trends are some of the ways the Central Taranaki Safe Community Trust Neighbourhood Support programme is keeping the community safe.
Central Taranaki Neighbourhood Support works closely with local Police and many other organisations in the community to reduce crime, improve safety and prepare for emergencies and natural disasters.
Trust chairman Danny Bates says the trust works to grow a more resilient community in Central Taranaki.
"Our free service offers crime prevention advice, useful tips and information and alerts you to current crime trends as they happen."
Danny says the programme has had many benefits both nationally and locally.
"Neighbourhood Support nationally has seen a lot changes and in many ways kept up with the times. Throughout those changes community values have been the focus.
"Locally, Neighbourhood Support has been our primary focus as nothing is more important than our community. We are the envy of many areas with one in six people in our area involved in the programme."
Neighbourhood Support initially started out as Neighbourhood Watch which was introduced to New Zealand by the Police in the late 70s as a crime prevention initiative, Danny says.
"In the 1990s the movement was renamed Neighbourhood Support to better reflect the work that we do in our communities.
"By working together we can support each other and make our neighbourhoods safer and more welcoming."
The Trust is made up of seven voluntary trustees, two employees, various partner organisations and over 1000 Central Taranaki Neighbourhood Support members.
"We are not alone - together we make Central Taranaki a safer place to live work and play."
He says Central Taranaki is a vast area, with many small towns and a lot of rural isolation.
"The majority share one passion we live in Central Taranaki because we enjoy our way of life, we enjoy our surroundings and we enjoy our community.
"By joining Central Taranaki Neighbourhood Support you get to keep up to date with what's happening in your area. You become part of the community team, we all add value in the team by watching out for one another."
Daily information is sent out to the Facebook page and members of the email database.
"With this also comes a list of helpful numbers along with a daily joke to lighten the mood and useful tips to pass the time like baking recipes and kids competitions."
He says being a part of Neighbourhood Support enables people to get to know their neighbours, stay up-to-date with important community news and alerts, use tips and resources that improve your household and neighbourhood safety and learn how to be better prepared for emergencies.
"Our Neighbourhood Support community team has proven that with so much passion shown, we have had many people in the community asking how they can help."