A van handed over to Dunedin's Maori wardens yesterday will make their job a lot easier, they say.
The six volunteer wardens, most of them from the same whanau, work in the Dunedin area mainly on Friday and Saturday nights to discourage crime on the streets, keep people safe and offer support to families in need.
Their tasks range from patrolling to sharing intelligence with front-line police staff and working on specific operations and community events.
Until now, the wardens used their own vehicles and sometimes could not do jobs requiring travel to outer suburbs or from one end of the town to the other, because of the cost of fuel, warden Joanne Matthews said.
The new van, handed over to the wardens in a short ceremony at the Dunedin Central Police Station yesterday, meant they would now be able to cover the entire city.
Superintendent Wally Haumaha, the national manager of Maori and Pacific Island ethnic services, said the van was the 29th handed over by police to Maori warden groups around the country as part of a project to support Maori wardens.
Supt Haumaha was in Dunedin for the ceremony.
The project also included legal, communications and driver training for wardens at the Royal New Zealand Police College in Wellington and in the districts.
More than 300 wardens had completed some sort of training since the project began in 2007.
Maori wardens epitomised the philosophy of community policing and were viewed by police as a key partner, he said.
Because of their high visibility and ability to connect with the community, they were in a position to influence and help their communities as well as give reassurance when that was needed.
While working alongside police, they were able to break down barriers with young Maori at risk, who saw the wardens as part of the family.
"Maori wardens showcase the personalised style of policing that will take us into the future.
"I believe you are the people who will make a difference."
Although wardens had no statutory powers, they were covered under the Maori Wardens Act.
For example, where an intoxicated Maori was being served alcohol, they could remove that person from the premises.
Police kaumatua Herewini Neho recited a blessing for the van before Inspector Alistair Dickie handed over the keys on behalf of Southern District Superintendent Bob Burns.
