An Emergency Services vehicle (Police, Ambulance or Fire) responding under lights and sirens, means we are attending the most urgent of jobs.
Police siren. Photo: Pexels.com
For police, this means that serious harm is in progress, and we need to get to our destination as a priority. The majority of road users see and hear our approach and pull safely to the side. Unfortunately, there are others however, who hold their line in the lane, sometimes even when others in front of them – and even on the other side of the road – are already pulling over to let us pass.
My ambulance colleagues tell me they often approach an intersection, for example Fort and Duke streets, only to have cars continue driving across in front of them, failing to let them though. Under the Land Transport Act 1998, it is an offence to fail to give way to lights and sirens when signalled in such a circumstances. More importantly though, your actions are delaying an emergency response to someone in need. Please be aware of your surroundings when driving and act appropriately.
In other news, Cambridge police are aware of the annoyance and risk posed to the public by two dirt bikes that have been seen riding dangerously around town over the past month. We have taken positive steps forward with those investigations, resulting in a reduction in offending. If you see such offending and have CCTV or dashcam footage, please do let us know at the time.
In Te Awamutu, off duty officers recently noticed a known male driving a stolen vehicle with altered plates. They followed him to an address and notified on duty staff, whilst keeping watch until police units arrived. The person was located in the garage of the address and arrested. He has appeared in court charged with driving offences and theft of the vehicle.
Petrol drive offs represent one of our highest reported dishonesty crimes in Waipā. Offenders often rack up multiple offences and use different registration plates and vehicles to get around. Recently one such recidivist was detected after a car was reported for fleeing police and the driver for stealing over Auckland Anniversary Weekend. A new attempted drive off was detected at a service station in Karapiro and staff locked their pumps and immediately called police.
Units responded and some deft investigation identified the male driver, who was already wanted by police. The vehicle was then tracked, while a plan with additional units was put in place. A coordinated response resulted in the tyres of the vehicle being spiked by police, abruptly ending a crime spree. A subsequent search of the vehicle further located a firearm. The driver was arrested and appeared facing multiple charges in court.
Senior Constable Deb Hann – On the Beat
