New Zealand Police today launched Wellington's first custom built mobile police base in Trentham, Upper Hutt.
The mobile base supports Police’s ‘more street than station’ approach by putting police officers in communities and providing a venue for the public to engage with them.
“Our patrol vehicles are essential tools that enable our officers to protect their communities and carry out their duties,” says District Commander Wellington, Sam Hoyle. “The idea of a mobile police base expands on this concept bringing the service to the public. It’s proven itself in high-use low-decile areas, (we have one in Counties Manakau) where the public don’t have easy access to transport.”
Police staff will share this service on a roster basis and it will be manned by front line sworn officers.
Police Commissioner Mike Bush says “The mobile base will travel around the Wellington District spending much of the time in vulnerable communities.
It will increase visibility and accessibility by providing a venue for the public to meet with officers in their local communities. This mobile base is an engagement tool to connect with communities, he says.”
It will be used across the wider Wellington policing district.
Policing Excellence the Future is reviewing Police’s service delivery model and community engagement with the mobile base will help determine whether we can better serve the public by including mobile bases in our service offering.