The past week has been “a mixed bag” of incidents for Wānaka Police, says area response manager Sergeant Darren Cranfield.

They ranged from “drunken lads on Crate Day” who tried to do a runner after using a taxi service, to arresting a man for supplying cocaine.

The use of Surron electric motorbikes on public roads is an “ongoing issue”, Darren said. 

“We caught another one this week,” he said. “We’ve got a video of two [people] on one doing 70kph down Outlet Road… Going down the bitumen, straight onto the shingle.

“One of these days it will end in tears.”

He said the same two people were caught on CCTV knocking on someone’s door in the middle of the night. One of the motorcyclists was wearing a white helmet, which may have also had some black on it.

“If anyone knows the identity of this person, give us a call,” he said.

Darren also said the police received a report from the public of three males on the roof of Cork Bar who had previously been seen trying car door handles.

“Always ring us, If you see something you think is suspicious …Don’t be afraid to ring us, we’d rather know than not know.”

Darren said there were three vehicle accidents in the past week.

“One could potentially have been quite serious,” he said, “a rollover of a van two or three times”.

“Luckily no-one was seriously injured.”

Police were alerted to two incidents this week of parents driving with young children in the car not wearing seat belts.

In one case, the vehicle was on the “open road, [with] three kids, no seatbelts”, Darren said, while in the other vehicle there were two “quite young” children unrestrained.

“The driver/parent got some infringement notices,” he said.

He said there were also instances of people driving without seat belts and using their cell phones while driving.

Wānaka Police is busy with a cell phone use campaign, and “trying to curb those habits”, he said. 

“It comes with a fine. If you’re that person that needs to answer your phone, put it in the back seat while you’re driving. 

Call 111 when you need an emergency response from police, fire or ambulance.

Call 105 to report things that don’t need urgent police assistance.

Call *555 to report road incidents that are urgent but not life-threatening.

To make an anonymous crime report contact Crime Stoppers.

PHOTO: Wānaka App