Tararua District police - prevent your car being stolen

Duck shooting season has started.

By Senior Sergeant Carey Williamson, Tararua Response Manager

OPINION

Stolen cars

Recently, lists of the most stolen cars have been released by insurers and reported on in the media.

There are no real surprises or significant changes in the list of vehicles targeted by thieves, more a few changes in position on the top 10 list. Police continue to see older vehicles without key fob immobilisers being taken in higher numbers.

The best advice to prevent cars being stolen is to always take the keys out of the vehicle, always lock your car and where possible park them off the street especially if you have an older, more commonly stolen vehicle.

GPS trackers are a great tool for recovering vehicles and are becoming increasingly affordable and reliable as technology continues to advance.

Deer hunting and duck shooting

The red deer roar will have come to an end by the time you read this. I am pleased to say that police were not called to any significant incidents related to hunting in the Tararua District during this year’s roar.

Next on many hunters’ calendars will be duck shooting season which commonly has a focus on opening weekend, the first weekend of May.

Police urge all hunters to ensure that they adhere to the seven basic rules of firearms safety. Particular to duck shooting, please check your firing zone, ensure firearms are stored and transported safely and make sure that firearms are locked away before you indulge in an after-hunt drink.

Staff movements

We have some more staff movements in the area. Constable Mark Mercer from Pahiatua has taken up a role at Woodville, restoring the Woodville station to two members.

Constable Chris Butterfield has been appointed to the front-line team at Dannevirke; he had previously been attached to the road policing unit in the Manawatū. Sadly, we lose Constable Emily Culleton who has been working at Dannevirke for the past three months, she has been a great asset to the Tararua District but returns to the Palmerston North Response Group.

Police matters

Through some great work over the last couple of weeks frontline staff across the Tararua District have recovered a stolen Ford Mustang vehicle, building supplies and a significant volume of cannabis at a rural Dannevirke address. Inquiries continue into these matters, but police are confident that those responsible for this offending will be held accountable.