Police ready for New Year
With hordes of people expected to be out celebrating the last day of the year and welcoming in 2019, extra police will be on duty in Taranaki to tend to any trouble.
New Plymouth Sergeant Kane Moses said historically Butlers Reef at Oakura and Urenui beach were ‘‘hotspots’’ in the district on New Year’s Eve but in recent years they had been ‘‘pretty quiet’’.
Additional staff have been rostered on tonight, including a dedicated number of officers who will patrol the Lights All Night New Year’s Eve event at Pukekura Park, which has been organised by the New Plymouth District Council as part of the Festival of Lights.
The family-friendly event will feature live music on the Hatchery Lawn from 7.30pm to midnight.
A liquor ban exists in the park from 7pm to 7am but exemptions are in place for the areas where the entertainment has been arranged.
Moses said there had been a security plan developed for the Pukekura Park celebration but ‘‘otherwise it’s just policing as normal in New Plymouth’’ this New Year’s Eve.
Senior Sergeant Allan Whaley, who will be working across central and south Taranaki today, said this time of year was generally ‘‘not too bad’’.
‘‘I’m not expecting any particular trouble but we’ve got plenty of staff on,’’ he said.
‘‘Hopefully, it will be a quiet night.’’
However, over the festive season, Whaley had noticed a sharp rise in vehicle speeds, especially between New Plymouth and Stratford.
With increased traffic on the roads, he feared it could be a recipe for disaster.
‘‘It’s going to end in tragedy.’’ He said he had clocked people well in excess of the 100km speed limit, including one driver who was caught driving at 144km while overtaking another car in a passing lane.
‘‘It’s far too fast.’’
He urged people to watch their speed and take care while they were out and about.
While Whaley patrolled the roads, Todd Cations-Velvin, lifeguard and president of the Fitzroy Surf Life Saving Club, has had his eyes on the water.
He said the beach had been a popular destination for people, with large numbers turning up to soak up the sun and surf at Fitzroy.
And the weather looks like it will play ball as well in the coming days, with Metservice’s forecast for today being cloudy with a chance of showers but with the temperature hitting a top of 22 degrees.
The first day of 2019 is looking good as well, with a 23 degree high on its way, albeit with a bit of cloud.
Cations-Velvin said there had been a couple of ‘‘close calls’’ at Fitzroy beach but, for the most part, people had observed the need to swim between the flags.
In beach areas which are not patrolled, he advised people to never swim or surf alone and stay close to shore.
‘‘And know your limits,’’ he said.
His advice follows two recent incidents, the rescue of three children from a rip at Onaero beach on Thursday and the assistance given by surfers to two fishermen after their boat capsized near the Waitara River mouth the following day.
Both areas are not patrolled by lifeguards.