A summer policing plan has been implemented to target the many issues associated with Christmas and the holidays, including financial stress, family tension, bored school-aged children, greater alcohol consumption and long-distance road travel.
Inspector Mel Aitken, the area prevention manager for Dunedin, Clutha and Waitaki, was leading the charge from the central Dunedin police station.
She said all Dunedin police staff were engaged in the plan, as well as many community groups and agencies.
''It's a whole-of-policing approach and it's all about prevention,'' she said.
More staff would be deployed ''on the beat'', there would be increased road checkpoints, and police officers would directly contact victims or potential victims of family violence to ensure issues were addressed.
Domestic violence spiked in the lead-up to Christmas Day, and there was an increase in disorder due to more people drinking larger quantities of alcohol, Insp Aitken said.
People also took more risks with drink-driving as a result of end-of-year and Christmas work functions, and more people travelled to and from holiday destinations, where they often consumed alcohol.
Insp Aitken said school-aged children typically became bored during holidays and involved themselves in disorder such as vandalism, graffiti and shoplifting.
Large groups of young people in the central city sometimes prompted police attention, she said.
Empty school grounds also became targets for wilful damage, burglary and theft.
As part of the summer policing plan, officers visited schools to talk about preventing crime by securing property.
''We remind them not to leave laptops in view of windows and things like that,'' Insp Aitken said.
As more people used outdoor recreation areas, thieves targeted public car parks, and vehicle owners were urged to keep valuables hidden and secure, she said.
The summer policing plan was officially implemented earlier this month and would run until the end of January. Partner agencies include community patrols, the Dunedin City Council, city safety officers, Neighbourhood Support and Campus Watch.
''It's a Dunedin initiative. We've had it going for a couple of years but I think each year we get better at how we frame it,'' Insp Aitken said.
''It's really just about more co-ordination and identifying issues so we can take a proactive approach - it's all about reducing harm.''
New Zealand Police national prevention manager Bruce Bird said there had been an average of 436 criminal apprehensions throughout New Zealand on December 25, over the last five years.
A ''typical day'' saw an average of 596 criminal apprehensions, Mr Bird said.
Assault and disorderly behaviour were the most common criminal offences committed on Christmas Day.
