Police Holiday Service

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30927, 7 December 1965, Page 18

Police Holiday Service

More than 60 householders yesterday telephoned the crimeprevention branch at the Christchurch Central Police Station to give particulars of their holiday destinations and the dates when their homes will be empty.

Detective-Sergeant D. C. Lee said he was very pleased with the initial response by householders to the police offer to assist holiday-makers to ensure that their homes were not burgled while they were away.

“We hope that the number ' of intending holiday-makers ’ who telephone the police i station (71-889, extension 60) will total at least 100 a day. I That will mean we will have i dealt with 1000 by December 17, when the special tele- > phone service will end. i “However, this does not ■ mean that the police service . in Christchurch will be disI continued. After December 17. . Intending holiday-makers can still telephone the station and I ask for the crime-prevention -section. But the telephone will not be manned continuously from 9 ajn. to 5 pun.,” Mr Lee said. He said that several persons had written to ask for advice, giving their holiday addresses, the dates they would be my, and naming persons who would have keys to their homes. “Persons calling at the police station after 5 p.m. can obtain the same service from ' the uniform or C. 1.8. publicinquiry counters. Inquirers I can call at the station, write, or telephone “We have had letters from persons in Mothven and Rangiora, and we have had information from persons going on holiday to Holland. Australia, and Fiji. In return, we have posted them our list of precautions to be taken,” Mr Lee said. He said that persons who took advantage of the service would be helping not only themselves, but also the police. The Christmas-New Year holiday period was always a difficult time for the police because of an increase, in the number of house burglaries, thefts from cars, fires, road accidents, and so on. If the police knew the names and addresses of holidaymakers it made their task so much easier. The seme theme is enmha«ised by DetectiveOiperinJ. Walton, deputyhead of the New Zealand C.LB, in a letter to “The Press.” “Holiday time,

the Christmas period, is always a busy time for the police. Much of this increased activity is unneceesary, as the public often unintentionally give considerable help to the burglar and the car thief. “This thoughtlessness by the public brings anguish on themselves even if the police cateh the criminal responsible, for this is little consolation to the householder who has lost irreplaceable posses-

sions or has had his car unlawfully taken and wrecked,” said Mr Walton. Mr Walton’s letter enelaeed a eepy of the poster (shewn in photograph) which the criaseprevention branch in Christchurch is sending to intending holidaymakers who seek advice on how to protect their hemes.