In New Plymouth, CPS’s Community Work Centre invited a number of community organisations to a meeting to learn about community work.
Service Manager Ann Kensington says 12 organisations attended and many indicated they would like to become involved.
“We were hoping to get three or four, so to get 12 was really great,” says Ann.
Some field staff have also been using new eye-catching presentation banners at public events.
Hamilton Senior Probation Officer Brent Reilly used the banners during a four-day expo called Staying Alive at the Mystery Creek events centre last October. The expo focused on emergency services and ways to keep people safe.
The huge colourful banners attracted people of all ages and gave staff a chance to talk to the public about the work done by the Community Probation Service.
“It was a great chance to clear up some misconceptions about Corrections, and to spend time working with the general public,” Brent says.
In Kaikohe, Service Manager Julianne Epere used the banners at presentations to Northland Polytechnic students and at a Rotary meeting.
Auckland-based Service Analyst Kim Webster has also used the banners at recruitment presentations for psychology and criminology students from Auckland and Victoria Universities. “The banners are really easy to use and really catch people’s attention,” says Kim.
CPS staff were invited to take part in the Problem Gambling Foundation’s inaugural gamble-free day at a Porirua mall last September.
Local Service Manager Pauline Ramsay organised a colourful display of posters and information sheets.
“Staff had the chance to talk with members of the public about the part CPS plays in helping people address their gambling issues,” she says.
“By the end of the day, visitors were starting to understand the link between gambling and crime. We displayed some really good statistics that showed the number of pokie machines in Porirua and how much money was lost each day. People were quite shocked by the amount.”
Pauline says it was great to be involved in the community event which helped to raise awareness about problem gambling and the role CPS plays in the wider community.
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