As we are midway through the school holidays, I wanted to highlight a concern around our tamariki (children). School community officers work with local schools to deliver programmes such as “Loves Me Not” and “Keeping Ourselves Safe” as well as facilitating Road Patrol.
Deb Hann
These work to educate and actively engage students with police. Such connection is often started at a young age through kindergarten and daycare visits by officers like me and our Youth Aid officer Dani.
Part of our messaging, especially with young children, is that police officers are safe adults, there to help people and approachable. When walking around in the community however, we regularly see adults pointing us out and telling children things like, “you’d better behave or the police officer will arrest you!” . This approach while undoubtedly well meaning, can back-fire. In a recent situation, a very young child was spotted biking unaccompanied alongside a main road.
When an officer stopped and tried to speak to him, he immediately turned tail and pedalled away on his bike in the opposite direction. When approached again, he dumped his wee bike and continued to run away on foot. While officers managed to catch up with him (and his parent), in such situations, we want children to run towards us, not away, where they risk putting themselves in further danger.
I would ask that as a community when interacting with police, we keep the narrative with our younger children positive.
In catches this week, a male who fled police in Ōhaupō was subsequently located in Leamington, not far from where he had dumped his car. He was arrested and breath alcohol procedures were undertaken. He was found to be driving with excess breath alcohol and contrary to an alcohol interlock requirement. A subsequent search of his vehicle located drug paraphernalia and a knife. He has appeared in court on related charges.
On the topic of alcohol again, further to my recent column about drunk driving, I see that our Impairment Prevention team caught six more people driving with excess breath/blood alcohol last weekend. No trip, no matter how short, is worth the risk if you have been drinking. Thank you to those who do plan ahead before a night out, be it with a sober driver, taxi or simply a walk home.
With daylight savings starting this weekend, I know we will all be looking forward to the socialising of summer evenings. Let’s make it a safe one.
