Extra police will be on hand to patrol popular Christmas
getaway spots in Omarama and Otematata this year.
With hundreds of holiday campers expected to de-camp from
Oamaru to the Waitaki lakes at Christmas, four additional
officers would be on duty between Boxing Day and into the new
year to bolster police strength, Senior Constable Stewart
Hewett, of Oamaru, said.
Snr Const Hewett said the additional measures, which would
see one additional officer stationed at Omarama and three
extra officers at Otematata, should be seen as preventive
policing.
''We get a lot of people up there over Christmas and New
Year. Really it's just about preventing problems rather than
sorting them out later.''
He said the area had seen a spate of thefts from unsecured
caravans and tents over the past couple of years, and police
would be encouraging people to ensure their accommodation was
secure before leaving it.
People should also ensure family homes were similarly secure
before leaving for the area, he said.
- andrew.ashton@odt.co.nz
A name, residential address, and (preferably residential) telephone number is required from readers who comment on ODT Online. These details will not be visible to site visitors.