Police morale Action’s goal

Press, 31 August 1989, Page 5

Police morale Action’s goal

By 1

KAY FORRESTER

The Christchurch police will have the highest morale in the country if the Christchurch Action team’s policy on safety is implemented, according to the team’s leader, Mrs Margaret Murray. She said a boost to the force’s morale was the goal of her team’s safety plan. “We want Christchurch to be the preferred posting for the police in the whole of New Zealand,” she said. The safety plan the Action team would implement if elected to the Christchurch City Council included: © More community “cop shops.” © Action clubs for children after school. ® Cycle lanes on highways. ® Improved lighting in the city. © 24-hour toilet facili- - ties for both sexes in the central city. © Business watch groups as an extension of neighbourhood support scheme. @ A councillor appointed to liaise with the police and accompany them on duty. Mrs Murray promised 16 community “cop shops” by 1992. She said it would not cost ratepayers a cent.

“We will work with the police to find sites, find suitable volunteers to help out in the office, answering phones and taking messages while the community constable is out on the beat.” The team had already found space at Avonhead mall for the city’s ninth community constable, she said. The action clubs for children would provide a safe place for children whose parents worked after school hours. They would be run at schools, but not necessarily by schools and would be funded by parents, schools and community grants. A similar club already used St Albans School. Mrs Murray said the target was nine more clubs by 1992. The safety plan includes support for police work with the young and assistance to the Police Drug Education Team, the Life Education Centre, and the Lions Skills Programme. Mrs Murray said the plan would encourage self-defence programmes for women and an adopted grandparent scheme. Help would be given to the police to establish business support groups to enhance security in the city centre and suburban shopping centres.