creating feelings of safety and pride in Porirua City
Porirua Community Guardians is a community safety programme that aims to make Porirua a friendlier and safer place in which to live, work and play.
Guardians are local people who volunteer to help make their neighbourhoods safer though their positive presence walking, talking and reassuring people.
Very obvious in their bright green uniform, Community Guardians are a reassuring safe point of contact for those in need of help or advice.
The programme was launched in 2003 in the belief that community safety is the responsibility of everyone in the community – not just the Police – and local people can make places safer by their presence.
Porirua Community Guardians currently has about 30 members (numbers fluctuate as with all volunteer organisations) who reflect the ethnic diversity of our city, and they range in age from late teens to mid-70s. All are provided with uniform and other necessary equipment supported with appropriate training.
No one is expected to work alone, and we aim to avoid any form of confrontation with anyone – that is NOT part of what we do.
Affiliated to Community Patrols New Zealand and guided by a steering group with representation from the Police, Porirua City Council and Canopy Connections, the whole operation is provided with management support and services by the Porirua Healthy Safer City Trust. Without this support much of what we do simply would not be possible.
As has often been said, “All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing”
Join our team – VOLUNTEER NOW!