WATCH Staying safe over summer months
As this summer approaches Tararua police have seen a small rise in incidents that areaffecting people’s safety and sense of safety.
Police often see more consumption of alcohol, an increase in personal stress related to Christmas, more drivers on the road for longer hours and more people congregating and socialising in public places and licensed premises.
These changes can sometimes negativelyaffect the community, such as at drunk drivers putting road users at risk, families suffering harm from family violence, people feeling unsupported and unable to cope through stress brought on by the expectations of Christmas and larger numbers of the public being exposed to disorderly or intimidating behaviour in public places and social settings.
If you are having a drink have you organised a sober driver? Do you know when enough is enough? Can you control your emotions and behaviour under the influence of alcohol? Are you willing to put other people’s lives at risk by driving drunk? Can you afford a conviction in courts and losing your license?
If you are stressed have you talked to someone about it? How is your behaviour affecting your family? Are there better ways for everyone involved to deal with family situations than to have people harmed and police called?
If driving, are you comfortable you have had sufficient rest? Is your vehicle safe? Are you willing to let your rush to get somewhere lead to potential harm to you, your family and others through avoidable accidents?
As well as taking personal stock, looking out for others as well as yourself can help with staying and feeling safe. If you experience or witness something that makes you feel unsafe or uneasy then you should consider reporting it to police. You don’t have to wait for something to go wrong before calling. Police often receive calls from members of the public about things they believe are or could led to a problem. We encourage this type of reporting because it can allow police to become involved and assist in sorting issues early.
■ Police wish everyone well through the summer holiday period. We would likeeveryone to feel safe through this time. Reporting matters to police early assists us with that. People taking stock around some of the changes we see in the summer months is also helpful in people avoiding harm.