Sirens ring, are you listening?
Police will be helping Santa this year by delivering food baskets and teddys to needy Taranaki families.
Operation Blue Santa, a collaboration between the New Plymouth Police Family Harm team and Roderique Hope Emergency Trust, wants to provide 100 baskets of food for Taranaki families in need this Christmas.
And Whitcoulls have donated 150 teddy bears, which will be given away at the same time.
Family violence is a huge issue in Taranaki with more than 3500 police callouts in 2016 – 50 per cent of those call outs involved children who lived in the home.
Last year Operation Blue Santa identified families that had been involved in family violence incidents, detective sergeant David Beattie said.
‘‘But we’ve extended it to basically families the police have interacted with who could do with some assistance around Christmas.’’ There’s a lot of financial hardship out in the community and when Beattie hears of someone they go on his list.
‘‘There was a huge buy in from the frontline staff involved in the operation last year because it gave them the ability to engage with people other than being there for a crisis, other than being there to put somebody in handcuffs. They were able to go there for no other reason than to dish out a gift basket at that time of year. It was awesome.’’
In some houses it was difficult to get in the door, while other people invited them in and they were ‘smothered’ by excited, happy children, he said.
‘‘It’s just a great project for the police to be involved in. Sadly a lot of police are only getting to see the community through reasons of victimisation and crime and it’s nice for them to be involved in a feel good project.’’
Roderique Hope Emergency Trust spokeswoman Michelle Ramage said the trust was coordinating the project and partnering with businesses to make it happen.
‘‘The charitable trust is about ensuring families in our community have a roof over their head and so this all ties in with our core values really well. We’re excited to be part of it. And it’s Taranaki wide, not just New Plymouth.’’
Businesses or families who want to get involved can contact Ramage at roderiquehope@gmail.com and she will send out letters explaining how it works.
Each basket costs $85 and people can donate the money or give a full basket, she said.
‘‘We can get stuff cheaper than people can buy it because of the different businesses like The Warehouse who have partnered with us. So money is easier. We can buy it cheaper and then people don’t have to go out and buy it, pack it and deliver it.’’
But a number of businesses have requested the bins, she said.
‘‘Others are getting their customers to drop in items. The community have got on board with this.’’ If anyone wants to donate the deadline is December 11, Ramage said.