We work closely with our local community policing team on a variety of fronts, mostly to support our young people who can be making bad choices or are struggling with negative influences in their lives.

The police we work with have asked that we get a message out to our community regarding the importance of us taking a ‘village’ approach with our young people. They have increased their presence in and around the wider Rototuna suburbs to be proactive in managing a growing number of young people in our community out late at night with no supervision, often engaging in unsafe behaviour. The police have asked us to request help from all of our whānau on two fronts:

1. Make sure you know where your child/ren are both when they are supposedly safely tucked away in bed or when they ask to go out. Check with other adults to ensure they get to where they are supposed to be going and that these adults have similar expectations of safe and appropriate activities.

2. If you are driving around our local area and notice groups (or even one or two) of young people congregating without adults and maybe up to no good then please call the Police. They want to be called and are happy to check whether the activities are safe and responsible.

Emerging adolescents want to be with their friends. This is perfectly natural and okay. It is also natural for them to test boundaries and this is where it is critical for us as parents/caregivers to ensure we are actively parenting to ensure they are making safe and positive choices.

Let's work together and support each other in raising great young people.