Aalborg’s nighttime safety volunteers appeal for recruits to keep streets secure

Aalborg’s natteravne (night ravens) volunteer group has been forced to cancel safety patrols due to a shortage of helpers, the local chapter’s chair told Danish broadcaster DR on Friday.

Claus Nielsen, who leads the volunteer organisation, said the group now operates at half its needed capacity, leaving gaps in nighttime support for young people and partygoers in the city. Without more recruits, he warned, patrols—currently running two shifts per weekend—could be cut further to just one three-hour round.

“We either go out once or twice a weekend for three hours each. That’s far too little,” Nielsen said. “It hurts, because we help ensure so many young people get home safely. And we can’t do that if we’re not out there.”

The group will host an open house this Friday at their base beneath Limfjord Bridge, offering potential volunteers a chance to join a trial patrol. Nielsen stressed that misunderstandings about the role and fears of nighttime work may deter sign-ups—but the experience is overwhelmingly positive.

“What stays with me most is when young people come up, give you a hug, and say, ‘Oh, it’s so good you’re here,’” he said. “We feel safe at night, and that praise after a patrol means everything.”

The volunteers, who operate in teams of three, work alongside local police and a newly opened Safe Zone at Vesterå and Ved Stranden, where young people can wait securely for rides home.