By Emily Norman
Featherston’s Community Patrol are saying goodbye to their old and “squeaky” patrol car after being handed the keys to a new Toyota at Kiwi Magic on Friday.
The compact silver car, which is branded with “Community Patrol” on its sides is “more than an upgrade” for the Featherston volunteer patrol group, whose last car was “getting a bit tired” with 208,000km clocked up on its odometer.
“You could drive the old one along at slow speeds and it would squeak at you,” Featherston Community Patrol coordinator Garry Thomas said.
Mr Thomas said he was “absolutely over the moon” with the new patrol car, which was made possible with a “significant amount of funding” from Trust House.
“We’ve done a lot since we’ve had the Community Patrol in Featherston,” Mr Thomas said.
“We helped the police solve a murder with a couple of our guys that were out a few years ago who spotted a car which was vital information in the case.
“Also our patrollers were out one night and noticed some guy trying to set fire to the petrol station so we spotted that too.”
Police Sergeant Ian Osland said the handover was part of the Wairarapa Community Patrol Car Project, which was now 75 per cent complete.
“We’ve now got Masterton, Martinborough, Featherston, and the last one will be Carterton, which isn’t far away.”
Mr Osland said the project was a good way to refresh and rebrand and revitalise the Community Patrol in Featherston.
Among sponsors who were at the handover yesterday was Kiwi Magic, offering the discounted Toyota, AMI providing free insurance, More FM who are underway with a year-long media campaign, and Trust House.
Select Signs offered the free sign-writing to brand the car.
