ON THE BEAT February'10

courtesy Eastern Courier and Howick Police

24-Feb-10

Over the holiday period I was interested to see some debate on whether the minimum driving age in New Zealand should be raised, possibly to 18.

The New Year has been time for reflection. With the welcome increase in police numbers for this district has come a drop in reported crime and of course fewer victims.

Youth crime, for this area in particular, has dropped. Much of the assault, vandalism and dishonesty that juveniles get themselves involved in has been curbed by the prominence of a police presence.

As teenagers we all did things that in hindsight were remarkably stupid. There can be no greater deterrent, from a teenager’s point of view, than a cruising police car or the presence of police on the beat.

However there remain two leading causes of teenagers getting into trouble in our
district. They are driving and alcohol. I am currently dealing with several young people who are facing serious driving charges where their actions have in some cases led to life-long consequences. All of these teenagers were breaching the conditions of their driver licence.

The licence restrictions are there for a good reason. If the family decides that the
young person is responsible enough to have access to a vehicle, police trust that they have the necessary support, guidelines and boundaries put in place that result in good, efficient experiences and not tragedy.

I would very much encourage some family discussion about the driving age and
when parents should be allowing their kids to get behind the wheel.

Constable Paul Devane, Youth Aid Officer Howick

17-Feb-10

Letters to the editor in recent weeks suggest that there are drivers out there who still don’t understand the law in respect to signalling/indicating at roundabouts, even though some erroneously think they do.

The law regarding signalling at roundabout intersections is covered in the Land Transport (Road User) Rule 2004.

Rule 3.10 (5) states:

A driver entering a roundabout:

• Who intends to leave at the first exit after entering the roundabout, must signal a left turn before entering

• Who intends to leave more than halfway around the roundabout, must signal a right turn before entering. Rule 3.10 (6) states:

• A driver who intends to leave a roundabout must, if practicable, make any left-turn signal immediately before the intended exit and after any intervening exit from a round about.

It’s pretty clear that drivers who constantly flick right/left while driving straight ahead are not correct.

One should only signal to the right prior to entering the roundabout if one intends to drive more than halfway around the roundabout.

In a nutshell, if you’re not turning to the right don’t signal to the right. Just signal to the left before leaving the roundabout – if practicable.

For anyone who is still unsure check out the website by following this link www. landtransport.govt.nz/roadcode/about-driving/giving-way-at-roundabouts.

The website displays several diagrams which clearly show who should do what in different situations.

Signalling to turn right then driving straight ahead is not one of them.

It looks like the law relating to driving through roundabouts will need to be repeated over and over until all drivers understand.

This is important to reduce the risks of vehicle collisions and drivers exhibiting road rage behaviours.

Maybe once everyone knows and complies with the law we might actually start being courteous to other road users – maybe.

Sergeant Keith Olsen Howick Youth and Community Services

10-Feb-10

I attended the scene of a burglary in Howick recently. Two criminals decided to break into a young couple’s home then left taking a television and laptop computer with them.

It looked like the entire house was searched but other valuable items were left behind, possibly on the basis that the criminals had the ability to more easily turn the electronic items into cash.

Unfortunately the house was not fi tted with a burglar alarm. If the house had an alarm this would have vastly reduced the time the criminals had to search the house.

They might still have broken in, but they would have had less time to go through the occupants’ personal items, looking through drawers, sifting through jewellery and so on.

Those who rent homes may not want to pay the cost of installing an alarm, and they may be unsuccessful in getting the landlord to do so. If this is the case, I would recommend considering investing in an alarm that can be removed from the house when you move on.

Having an alarm not only reduces opportunities for burglars to commit crime in your home but you might also qualify for a reduced premium on your household contents insurance.

Although the cost of an alarm might seem a lot in the fi rst instance it will soon be offset in the savings you will make on your insurance. Not only that, the peace of mind that you will gain from having the reduced risk of burglary is invaluable.

While on the subject of burglary I would remind everyone, both those with alarms and those without, that it is time to review your household contents.

Do you have a list of all your items, with records of serial numbers, makes, models, photos?

If one or more of your valuables was stolen would you be able to positively identify it as yours? If not, do it now. Then keep the list and photos in a safe place. We will ask for it if you become a victim.

As with all crime types, prevention is better than cure. Crime prevention is everyone’s responsibility.

Sergeant Keith Olsen Howick Youth & Community Services

03-Feb-10

Now that the holidays are over and done with it is time to put the head down and get on with the new decade.

I noticed that flat-screen televisions were the in thing over the break judging by the number of boxes I saw waiting to be collected by the recycling truck.

Little do you realise that this is an invitation to a burglar who is out looking for his next job.

With your box sitting on the side of the road you are advertising the fact that you have a flat-screen television, it is brand new and by the size of the boxes it’s
really big.

Television boxes were not the only ones seen. Also spotted were boxes from PlayStations, computers, Xboxes, DVD players, etc.

All these items are hot commodities to our burglars and he or she does not need a second invitation.

The best thing to do is cut your boxes up into small pieces and put them into the recycling bin rather than placing it on or beside it. Those items were brought for
you to enjoy not for others.

On another topic I am very impressed with the way that the east Auckland community has taken to the new cellphone law.

In the time that it has been introduced I am yet to catch anyone out so please keep up the good work.

Remember that it is an $80 fine and you lose 25 demerit points so please remember
to pull over or use a hands-free kit.

Neighbourhood Support is always a great way to get to know your neighbours and
get some extra security for your home, so if you wish to set up a group contact me on 538-0300 or go to www.nsupport.co.nz

Keep safe

Constable Merv Hotter, Highland Park Community Constable

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