By Deb Thurgood
I want to start with another big thank you to everyone who has been doing what we need to do to meet level 3 lock down rules. It is a stressful time for all, and your efforts don’t go unnoticed. Policing under Covid-19 lockdown levels is obviously also different to normal and your cooperation and understanding enables us to put our attention where it is most needed. Remember that everyone responds differently to anxiety and stress, so a moment of kindness can go a long way.
Regardless of lockdown levels, there remain those who continue to commit crime even when most of us are home a lot more than normal. We have had a couple of burglaries and theft from cars this past week that prompt a reminder to keep your car and house doors and windows closed. If you want to give pets access to the house overnight, consider a cat/dog door rather than leaving a window or door partially open, or close up the house and provide a litter tray. If your car is parked in the driveway, ensure the alarm is on, the doors are locked, and all valuables are out of sight. Remember that opportunists look for the easy target and commodity items. If we remove the opportunity, we go some way to reducing crime.
On another note, I have seen a post being shared on social media giving a tip on what to do should you find yourself lost when tramping or broken down on the side of the road and your mobile phone is going flat. The post tells you to change your voicemail to give the date and time, your location and a summary of the situation.
When your battery dies, your voicemail will be heard by anyone ringing in, possibly enabling help to be arranged. While this is a good idea, it is more important, especially when planning a tramp or boating expedition, to proactively tell people – in advance of leaving- where it is you are going and your intended return time. This enables them to raise the alert early, if you do not return home on-time. The sooner emergency services are aware, the sooner we can find you. Equally mentioned in a previous column, buying or hiring a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) can literally save your life, by alerting emergency services to your location and need for help when activated. Better safe than sorry!
Have a good week, Deb
