Manawatu Neighbourhood Support has seen such a huge upturn in numbers over the past year, that co-ordinator Allan Muntz and chairman Sergeant Mike Lawton have both been presented with an award at a national training seminar last week.

The seminar was organised by Community Patrols. The award was in recognition of the work done in building up the number of groups in both Feilding and rural Manawatu.

Twelve months ago, when Mr Muntz took on the role of co-ordinator, there were 68 groups in the area.

There are now 189.

In Manawatu, the proportion of rural dwellings, which are part of a Neighbourhood Support group is nearly 16 percent. The national average is 12 percent.

In Feilding, the number of groups has grown from 18 to 72 in twelve months, taking it close to the national average of 15 percent of homes in urban areas.

Mr Muntz said the increase in those joining Neighbourhood Support is partly due to public meetings he has held in different areas, and a programme of pamphlet drops he undertakes, after incidents are reported by police.

"Last week, two cars were broken into in one street," he said. "I did two pamphlet drops in the area, advising people to be alert to these crimes and the next night an arrest was made because someone reported another break- in."

He hopes it will lead to interest in starting Neighbourhood Support groups in these areas too.

"We need to have 21 more Feilding homes involved in groups to reach the national average," he said.

Public meetings have had a good response in Feilding, with between 20 and 60 people attending.

"Even if only one or two people from a street come to the meeting, they then collect their neighbours into a support group."

If any groups have become inactive, Mr Muntz would like to know, so they can be reorganised.

He would also like to hear from anyone interested in starting a new group. His office is at the Feilding Police Station and he can be reached on 06-323-7386.