With the help of staff from the Police Maritime Unit, Herald Island resident Bob Rawson got together a group of other concerned boat owners and waterside residents in August 1997 to form Boatwatch. At the time they were worried after an outbreak of boat burglaries and vandalism. Boatwatch now has 130 members and has a system of boat surveillance, call-outs and emergency procedures to deal quickly with any suspicious behaviour in the Greenhithe, Hobsonville and Glenfield areas. The group has managed to thwart a number of attempted break-ins to boats, has rescued boats from loose moorings, returned property to owners and investigated numerous other boating incidents. The Greenhithe Boatwatch coordinator Howard Rowland says 100 people can be at their watch positions within 15 minutes of an alarm being raised.
Members also carry out random patrols, and boat owners are encouraged to put alarms in their boats.
The Maritime Unit backs up Boatwatch and can have one of its patrol boats in the area within 10 minutes of receiving a call at the Mechanics Bay base.