Crime up at Xmas
Meri Kirihimete ki a koutou. Christmas is here and while it’s a joyful time for most people, for many families, not just in our community, it brings a lot of stress.
Police often see a jump in family harm incidents. Money worries and alcohol are two big drivers but just being with family for such an unbroken time over Christmas-New Year can also cause tension. Some people are off work for three weeks and towards the end of it the walls are closing in and money starts getting really tight.
We had nine family harm incidents reported last week. We support these families by referring them to partner agencies, but we ask that if things are getting heavy at home, get help. You can always ring Police to attend, and there are other agencies and helplines — see the box with this report. As well, you can talk to neighbours, church members or marae members.
At this time of year other crime rises too, particularly burglaries and thefts. People are away from their home a lot longer because the weather’s better and they can become crime victims through no fault of their own. They might leave the house to go to the lake or have Christmas toys lying about, leave doors unlocked or phones on the deck. The other factors driving higher crime over summer are some hau tutu¯ [rebellious] kids on holiday who can’t keep their hands in their pockets and transient out-of-town offenders in the area.
We ask you to be a bit vigilant over what you’re doing, and take ownership of your neighbourhood or your street just by keeping an eye on anybody who looks unfamiliar or out of place. Don’t be afraid to be inquisitive and say ‘hi, can I help you?’ to somebody hanging around. If you’re worried and don’t want to confront somebody, ring Police, that’s our job. I’m really pleased that we are getting good responses from locals reporting things that are out of place.
Our burglaries had a big spike up to nine last week unfortunately. A local service station had a window smashed in the early hours of Tuesday December 11 and cigarettes and soft drinks were taken. We have CCTV footage and are following strong lines of enquiry. In another incident, chairs were stolen from a local church. Some young people will be spoken to by police and Youth Aid in relation to this.
Enjoy your holidays and your time with family and friends. Be safe, keep each other safe have a very Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year and we will look forward to seeing you in 2019.
Ma¯ te wa¯, Te Reipa.