Richard Chambers –
Lunar New Year is celebrated by the Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, and other Asian ethnic groups throughout the world. 2016 is the Year of the ‘Fire Monkey.’
Asian people are always happy to work with the New Zealand Police to reduce crime and victimisation.
My understanding of the ‘Fire Monkey’ is that it is about wit, intelligence and energy and hence I hope that our friends within Asian communities have the opportunity to celebrate and enjoy the year with family, friends and loved ones.
I hope that they have fun, can laugh a lot and make intelligent decisions when it comes to their safety and the safety of others.
Partners in Safety
It is the role of my staff and I to ensure that people feel safe and are safe in this great multicultural city.
But this has to be done in partnership.
We need to work together to help prevent crime and victimisation and we are always very grateful to our partners in Asian communities for helping us to get these prevention messages out to the community.
Please keep up the good work.
I know that many in the Asian communities often feel that they are easy targets for victimisation but we can all be easy targets if we do not take good care of ourselves and our property.
Good neighbourliness
If you are out at night, be aware of your surroundings – keep yourself and your valuables safe. If you are going away, make sure that your homes are secured and ask a neighbour to keep an eye on the place for you.
You live in a nation where your neighbours can become your best friends and most people want to ensure that their neighbourhoods are safe, so always ask for help.
As a growing city, with growing wealth, Aucklanders are also often targets for fraudsters.
I am aware that this is something which is becoming a growing issue within Asian communities. My advice to you is simple: if the offer seems too good to be true, it probably is. We have teams dedicated to tackling dishonesty crime.
I encourage you to report suspicious behaviour and criminal activity.
Most importantly, please remember to smile, laugh and enjoy each other’s company this year and make good decisions when it comes to looking after yourselves, your loved ones and your families.
Superintendent Richard Chambers is District Commander of the Auckland City District Police. The above article is based on an interview that he had with Asian Liaison Officer Jessica Phuang at the start of the Lunar New Year. She enjoys working with the Asian communities not only within the Auckland City District Police but also other parts of New Zealand. She can be contacted on (09) 3026421 or 021-1920935; Email: jessica.phuang@police.govt.nz
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Photo :
Richard Chambers and Jessica Phuang
