Kia Ora Wānaka.

With the good weather rolling in and kids back at school, things seem to be getting back to normal, or whatever that is now.

Here’s a snapshot of what your blue line has been up to this week.

Writing this feels a bit déjà vu with family harm episodes attended by police resulting in referrals to external agencies for assistance. Many of these services are accessible through the Wānaka Community Hub on McDougal Street and are there for help to everyone.

A reminder again regarding potential frauds. These are coming thick and fast and in all varieties; from purchasing items which never arrive, to email and text messages requesting you pay a small amount to get a parcel released by customs. Rule of thumb, if it seems dodgy it probably is. However, I’m sure the Nigerian prince will soon deposit the millions of dollars in my bank account like he promised.

We still have our foot firmly on road policing with operation disruption still running. You can expect more seat belt, cell phone, speeding and general driving behaviour focus from us. So put your phone down or get hands free, wear your seatbelt, lift your right foot a few millimetres and stick to the road rules or you will get an Infringement notice.

We investigated several calls about poor driving behaviour on our local roads over the past week. With the inability to blame tourists for this, maybe it’s time to take a hard look at local driving behaviour and take the appropriate action to address it.

We had another incident of the barrier arm at the Masonic Lodge carpark on Dunmore Street being broken between Saturday night and Sunday morning. This is the second time in the past year this has been broken and police would love to hear if you have any information on this.

Police are still investigating reports of people breaching health rules and leaving Auckland to come to Wānaka. Be assured these are being investigated fully and appropriate action taken when clear breaches are found.

We want to keep Covid out of Wānaka and the area but at times there are legitimate reasons for people travelling and residing here.

Lost property still rolls in and we would love to get it back to rightful owners when we can.

Be aware of the opportunist thieves around town as hot on the heels of a young boy having his bag taken last week, we had a report of a bag taken from a vehicle this week. The vehicle was a

convertible with the roof down and bag in view. Please don’t place temptation in people’s way. If leaving your vehicle, lock all valuables in the boot or out of sight.

We have had a slight change of hours at the Wānaka Police Station with the front counter now being open from 9am – 5pm daily.

So, until next time Wānaka, stay safe and have a great week.