seniors and schools, responding to calls on petty thefts, and checking out a drug tip from a concerned resident.

He also stopped to speak with some gentlemen about a noisy young man causing trouble in the neighbourhood.

It appeared the individual, nowhere to be seen, was building a makeshift structure out of wooden pallets nearby. It's a site the constable will return to.

Another challenge was a chicken behaving like a dog -- to a dog the Parish constable looks just like a postman.

Being a Parish constable is not the most glamourous work. It's a far cry from the Police image portrayed on prime time TV dramas.

But it takes just a few minutes to see that only a certain kind of individual can be a Parish constable. This is not a job for the introverted or the impatient. It is a job for the civic-minded.

"Our intention is to be friendly, to take a less heavy-handed approach. But we are still Police officers,'' says P.c. Estwick. "For too long we were putting too much emphasis on the crime after the crime occurred.'' The Royal Gazette shadowed P.c. Estwick and Warwick P.c. Michelle Simons, days prior to next week's official launch of the scheme.

Boosting the Parish constable scheme is part of Police Commissioner Colin Coxall's service strategy which places a heavy emphasis on community policing.

Community policing is built on the principles of Sir Robert Peel, the British Prime Minister who founded the Metropolitan Police Service in London in the 1800s.

Sir Robert said Police are members of the public paid to give full-time attention to duties incumbent on every citizen.

Under the Parish constables' scheme, members of the public serve as an invaluable source of intelligence about their neighbourhoods.

Often, all it takes to bring the information out is a friendly house call.

Without that contact, important information, like where drugs are being sold and by whom, might not make it to the constable.

Because of P.c. Estwick's visibility in the parish, two concerned citizens provided him with information on suspected drug dealing nearby.

Drug dealing seems less prevalent over the past several months, he says, but there has been an increase in domestic violence.

Community policing `starts in the home' P.c. Estwick's other calls on Wednesday included serving a summons, checking with a store owner about someone who stole some cigarettes, and a stop at Elliott Primary School.

P.c. Estwick also caught a youth riding without a helmet. The youth's face turned guilty at the sight of the Police car but there was no ticket issued.

Instead, the youth's name was taken and he was spoken to.

Another youth was also spotted riding without a helmet. He successfully fled over land. P.c. Estwick instinctively noted the licence number.

Although he made no arrests that afternoon he spoke with ease with many people in the parish.

P.c. Estwick and P.c. Simons both say that with their increased presence in the community, crime statistics might actually go up because people are more likely to report incidents.

Parish constables routinely stop to talk to seniors. The talk is not always about crime. It might be about cricket.

"On first contact it is important to put people at ease,'' says P.c. Estwick, an officer for over seven years, two as parish constable. "That must be immediate.

"I get to know the people in the parish. I get to know their fears and concerns. We focus on the protection of life and property and the prevention of crime.'' One recent random call by P.c. Estwick may have saved the life of an elderly woman in Loyal Hill.

"When I arrived to check on her, she was collapsing, falling from her chair,'' he recalled.

Are there any downsides to his work? "Working alone demands a lot of patience and the application of certain non-confrontational skills.'' He has never been attacked while a parish constable.

But people in the neighbourhood know the role of the parish constable.

P.c. Simons' record shows she is just the type of community-minded individual that easily fits the profile.

She designed the Peers Against Stealing & Speeding (PASS) pamphlet and edits the Parish Post, a newsletter for the parish constables.

Another of her projects is crime prevention for seniors.

She also prepared a pamphlet for young people on what the laws are.

A mother of two, ages 10 and 13, P.c. Simons also organises Christmas carol singing. The award winning officer is also a Brownie leader.

When The Royal Gazette met P.c. Simons, she was warning drivers about an oil spill by the Warwick bowling alley.

Asked if she preferred "pro-active'' policing as opposed to reacting to crimes which have already been committed, P.c. Simons said community policing is more rewarding.

"Imagine saying you're happy with you're job after 18 years,'' she says.

"Although I've not always been a Parish constable, I've always done this type of work.'' With two years as a Parish constable, she is one of four in Warwick.

"Generally, I feel safe in the neighbourhood. I know all the people.'' She too said she has never been attacked.

Stops at schools, the dock at Riddells Bay and Cedar Hill are among the parish sites she visits. Seniors are a top priority.

Sometimes the residents of Tamarind Vale have a problem with loud concert music, she says.

"I've come down before a concert and worked out an acceptable level. I go around to various areas and listen. Its better than everybody getting aggravated. It doesn't always work but at least people involved are getting together and trying to work it out. Nobody expects there to be a concert with no noise but they don't expect their windows to rattle either.'' For P.c. Simons, the biggest hurdle was learning to operate the standard issue Police Peugeot cycle.

She also says the lack of a Police station in Warwick can be a problem but that may change.

And what about getting to know people well, then having to arrest them? If it gets that far, it means the offender had more than enough warning, she says.

The best place for community policing is in the home, she says.

Talking to parents goes a long way to solving problems involving youths. It works out better for everyone if problems get solved before arrests are made and people are in court.

"You have to build a rapport. People have to trust you to tell you what crime has been committed. I've had one person ask me if I had a warrant. His mate said I didn't need one because I'd just tell his mother.'' Being community minded is a full-time job for the Parish constable.

P.c. Simons says that she often wakes up at night and has to write down her ideas.

"The idea won't go away.'' It appears that as long as there are active, community-minded officers and neighbourhoods who want them, parish constables like P.c. Estwick and P.c.

Simons will not go away either.

And why should they? Neighbourhoods have the Police right where they want them.