Police Holiday Service Proved Successful

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30976, 4 February 1966, Page 14

Police Holiday Service Proved Successful

House burglaries in Christchurch last month dropped spectacularly compared with December. In December, 68 houses were broken into. Last month the total was 38.

“The drop in house burglaries must be attributed mainly to the work of the Christchurch C. 1.8. break squad. Last year, 250 persons were arrested on charges of burglary, and a substantial number of these were arrested in December,” said the Christchurch crime prevention officer (Detective-Sergeant D. C. Lee) yesterday.

“It can be demonstrated statistically that when the number of persons arrested for burglary increases, the number of burglaries falls. “Although the part played in the reduction of burglaries by the police service to holidaymakers introduced in Christchurch for the first time these holidays cannot be shown statistically, I am satisfied that the scheme was an unqualified success,” Mr Lee said.

Mr Lee said that almost 2000 householders had taken advantage of the service offered. These householders had supplied the police with the dates and destination of their holidays and a person who would have the key to the house and would keep an eye on it when they were away. In return, the police had supplied the holidaymakers with a list of simple precautions to be taken to assist in safeguarding their empty homes. “Only two of the homes were burgled while householders were away. In both cases, the burglars broke in, and reasonable precautions could not have prevented the means used by the burglars to get in,” said Mr Lee.

“Another four houses were burgled last month while the owners were on holiday. In these cases, the householders had not taken advantage of the service. The precautions suggested by the police could have prevented two of these four burglaries,” Mr Lee commented. Few Emergencies

The police did not have much occasion to use the information provided by the 2000 householders —and were pleased about this because it meant that there were few cases of emergency involving the families on holiday. “The more householders

who use the and the fewer who have to be got in touch with while on holiday the better —from both the families and police point of view.

“We are satisfied that the service was an unqualified success, that it proved to be

well worthwhile and that it is well worth running again next holiday season," Mr Lee said.

“During Christmas - New Year and January, the Christchurch police were called on urgently to trace at least 30 persons on holiday. None of them was on the holiday service list. “In some cases it took a considerable period of inquiry work to trace the persons; broadcasts had to be made in many instances and in a few cases the holidaymakers were not traced until they returned home.”