Police are here to help students have a safe Orientation Week.
Want to have a good year at university? Start it off well, by looking out for each other and yourselves these coming weeks as the university year officially kicks off. Police from around New Zealand cities and towns with universities and tertiary institutes want to share messaging about keeping new students safe.
Not only is it a time to join teams, societies and clubs, make sure you take a campus tour, enjoy the freebies and goody-bags that get handed out. Sort out your admin, find out your time-table, and then think about how you can spend your evenings - safely.
When you’re meeting a whole bunch of new, exciting people and going to parties (some with free drinks), it can be easy to get swept up in the moment.
Community Prevention Manager for Dunedin, Senior Sergeant Craig Dinnissen says “Have a good think about what you are doing. If you think you may do something that would embarrass your parents, grandparents or someone you respect, with anti-social antics, then perhaps it’s not the best decision.
“It’s not just all about the drinking and partying says Senior Sergeant Dinnessen but that certainly appears to be the aim of some students,” he says. Look after you mates, flat mates and others in general. The last thing you want is for all the hard effort put into years of university study to be ruined by an intoxicated stupor.
Area Commander for Hamilton City Inspector Andrea McBeth says “It’s also important to note that student flats near Waikato University are popular and lucrative for burglars who love to steal laptops, phones and other expensive items that students tend to buy at the beginning of a new year. If you are in a flat, have a meeting with your flat mates, talk about how many people have keys and the best way to keep it secure.”
Area Community Services Manager, Senior Sergeant Roy Appley from Christchurch says “Canterbury Police will have extra high visibility policing happening around known student locations and entertainment areas in Christchurch, with the aim of keeping people safe this week and weekend.”
Area Manager for Response, Senior Sergeant Dean Harker says “There are not many problems with students from Lincoln University generally but Police has a presence at some campus events currently – to show we’re around and approachable.”
Palmerston North Community Constable Roz Humphrey has partnered up with UCOL and launched a personal safety video for ‘O week’. You can watch this video on the Manawatu, Taranaki, Whanganui-Ruapehu police Facebook page.
“Whether students are studying in their home town or they have moved away from home, we want them to remember that Police are always here to help if they have concerns about their safety or someone else’s,” says Constable Humphrey.
Here’s some tips for partying safely:
- Look out for your friends – if you arrive together at an event, make a plan to leave together
- Have a glass of water or other beverage between alcoholic drinks – don’t overdo it
- Make sure you eat some food if you are drinking
- Keep an eye on those drinks and your bag or wallet, or let your friends mind your gear if you need to go the toilet
- Have a designated driver, or put aside money for a taxi or bus
- If you plan to walk late at night, walk in pairs or groups, either way, have a plan for getting home safely
- Make sure your phone is fully charged and keep it safe, so you can use it to get home.
Having a party? Have a think about this: https://goodone.org.nz/ we have had some great parties registered and visited by police to assist party organisers with safety measures and how to call for assistance when needed.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
